Major corporations have begun to add abortion travel costs as part of their employee benefits in the wake the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe V. Wade.
It is their goal to make sure that employees have access to abortion care in any state where it is currently or soon will be illegal. According to the Guttmacher Institute which studies reproductive issues, 26 states in the United States are likely to quickly outlaw abortion after the 1973 landmark ruling was overturned.
After restrictive abortion laws were introduced in Texas and other states, a small number of companies offered travel coverage for abortion. More corporations followed suit after Friday’s Supreme Court ruling, with many companies representing millions of workers pledging to pay travel expenses for employees who need abortion care.
Here are a few companies that have increased coverage.
The e-commerce company, which has 1.6 million employees, said it would reimburse $4,000 for travel expenses related to abortions. Amazon has increased the travel and lodging benefits to cover travel for non-life-threatening conditions, if a provider cannot be reached within 100 miles of an employee’s home,” an Amazon spokesperson said in an email to CBS MoneyWatch.
The country’s second-largest banking institution said it would pay for travel expenses for employees who have to travel out of state in order to receive reproductive services, including abortions.
In September, the dating app company Bumble announced that it would establish a fund to support organizations that support reproductive rights in Texas. Texas is where Bumble is located. Texas banned abortion after six weeks.
According to the New York Times, media companies are among those who announced that they would pay for abortion-related travel expenses.
Cigna employees are located in all 50 US states. We want to ensure that everyone has access to quality health care regardless of where they reside. In an email statement, the health insurance provider stated that they already provide travel reimbursement to employees and their families for certain medical services. They are also expanding this benefit to include access to abortion care, gender affirming care and behavioral health services in areas where access is limited.
After several states passed restrictive laws regarding reproductive health care, the bank added travel benefits to its work offerings. Citigroup announced in March that it will begin offering travel benefits starting in 2022 to help facilitate access to sufficient resources.
According to the New York Times, the media company is one of those that covers workers’ travel expenses for abortion.
According to the newspaper, the parent company of NBCUniversal will pay up to $4,000 per trip and up to three trips per year for employee medical travel. The annual limit is $10,000.
According to the Times, the magazine publisher also covers travel costs related to abortion for workers.
According to reports, the drugstore chain made it possible for employees to access out-of-state medical services, including abortion.
The Supreme Court decision ruled that the retailer will reimburse up to $4,000 for abortion travel expenses “to the nearest legal location” for workers, spouses, and dependents.
The cosmetics company announced earlier this month that it would cover travel and lodging to the U.S. for reproductive health care starting in August.
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According to reports, the bank will pay for travel expenses for U.S.-based workers who have to travel out of state to obtain abortions or other gender-affirming care starting July 1.
The company covers travel expenses for medical procedures that are not covered in the worker’s home state.
According to the furniture manufacturer, it will expand employee benefits to include travel expenses for medical procedures such as abortions if they are not available within a reasonable distance.
Last week, the nation’s largest bank said that it would cover travel expenses to states where abortion is legal beginning in July.
The Ohio-based grocer will pay up to $4,000 for travel expenses to various medical procedures, such as abortions and fertility treatments.
According to the newspaper, it will expand its medical coverage to include both abortion-related and gender affirming care travel.
Ride-hailing companies offer U.S. medical benefits that include coverage for elective abortions and reimbursement for travel expenses if employees travel over 100 miles to visit an in-network provider.
Shar Dubey (CEO of the Dallas-based firm) established a fund in 2021 to assist any Texas employees who may need to travel to Texas for an abortion.
MasterCard spokesperson said in an email that they will continue to provide employees with the same access to health care no matter where they live. This includes family planning.
Facebook and Instagram’s owner, Mark Zuckerberg, stated that it would reimburse travel expenses for people who have to access out-of state health care and other reproductive services.
The technology company extended financial support to “critical healthcare”, including abortions, and covered travel expenses for such procedures.
In an email, CBS News’ owner, a media conglomerate, stated to employees that it would pay travel expenses for legal abortions.
Outdoor apparel company stated that it would pay for medical insurance for part- and full-time employees, including the cost of abortion care. The company stated that travel, lodging, and food are covered “where restrictions exist”. It also promised to pay “training and bail” for peaceful protestors for reproductive justice.
After the Texas Supreme Court upheld a law that prohibited abortion after a fetal beat can be detected, which can occur within six weeks of a woman’s pregnancy, the money transfer company decided to reimburse employees for travel expenses to obtain abortions.
Procter & Gamble announced that its new travel policy will protect workers who are unable to access healthcare within a 50-mile radius. It will go into effect January 1. The company, which produces household products like Pampers and Tide in the United States, has 26,000 employees and is based out of Ohio, which has an anti-abortion ban.
Marc Benioff, CEO of the software company, stated in September that the company would assist employees who want to leave Texas due to Texas’s restrictions on abortion.
In May, the coffee shop chain announced that it would be expanding its medical insurance to pay for abortions outside of 100 miles.
Target informed its approximately 450,000 U.S. employees that it would cover travel expenses for any covered medical procedure. This will begin in July. Target, which is based in Minneapolis, has approximately 2,000 stores throughout the country.
Tesla’s 2021 impact report stated that the electric vehicle manufacturer started providing “travel and lodging assistance for those who may require healthcare services that are not available in their home states” last year.
According to the ride-hailing company, it will cover travel expenses for employees who need to access healthcare services. It will also pay legal fees for drivers who transport patients to the clinics.
According to the CEO of the company, the expansion of its reproductive care coverage included a reimbursement of travel-related expenses up to $1500. This was separate from the coverage that it had previously provided, according to the New York Times.
Friday’s announcement by Disney included a promise to pay travel expenses for “family planning” in the event that employees are unable to access health care locally, as well as for those who have to make pregnancy-related decisions. Disney has 195,000 employees.
In April, the app for crowdsourced reviews stated that it would cover employees’ travel expenses if they had to travel out of state for an abortion.
In May, the company announced that it would pay up to $3,000 per year for U.S. workers who travel to receive reproductive care, including abortion.
As of June 1, the real estate website updated its health plan to reimburse employees up $7,500 for significant travel to access health care. This includes gender-affirming and reproductive services.
