By Jordan Fenster, Staff Reporter

When Chris Donovan told host John Dankosky in an appearance on WNPR’s “Where We Live” Monday that Walmart was the largest user of Connecticut’s HUSKY program, which provides public health coverage for children and families without, he was exactly right.

Chris Donovan (AP Photo/Bob Child)

But Walmart isn’t alone.

According to a report by the Office of Legislative Research, 1,189 Walmart employees and 2,465 of their children were enrolled in HUSKY. That’s an increase of 63.7 percent from 2005.

Dunkin’ Donuts isn’t far behind — 1,103 employees of the coffee and bagel chain and 2,083 of their children get health insurance through the state, an increase of 121.6 percent since 2005.

Perhaps ironically, the company with the largest percentage increase in HUSKY usage since 2005 is school bus company First Student. In total, 1,945 employees and their children use HUSKY health insurance, an increase of 244 percent since 2005.

It should be noted that the OLR offers the following qualification: “The number of child recipients may be overstated as some may be counted twice. That is because a child conceivably could be living in a two-parent household in which one caretaker is receiving HUSKY A and the other is not.”

When it comes to nonprofits, the YMCA is the largest user of HUSKY coverage, though the total, 372, is far lower than even the lowest-ranked private company on the OLR’s list of top 25 HUSKY users (Bank of America, which has 527 employees and their children using HUSKY).

In all, 4,355 employees of nonprofits and their children use state-sponsored health care.

According to the state’s HUSKY website, “HUSKY Health is the State of Connecticut’s public health coverage program for eligible children, parents, relative caregivers, senior citizens, individuals with disabilities, adults without children, and pregnant women. Children up to age 19 may qualify regardless of family income level.”

Email Jordan Fenster at jfenster@nhregister.com. Follow him on Twitter @jordanfenster.