After Roe v. Wade was overruled by the Supreme Court, large U.S. corporations reacted Friday with a host of corporations promising to increase employee health benefits and cover travel expenses for abortions.
Walt Disney announced Friday that it will cover travel expenses for family planning for employees who are unable to access health care in their area, as well as for those involved in pregnancy-related decisions, following the ruling by the high court. Disney employs around 195,000 people, with a further 80,000 in Florida.
In an email to CBS MoneyWatch, a Disney spokesperson said that they recognize the effects of the ruling. She also stated that Disney remains committed to providing affordable, quality care for all cast members, employees and their families. This includes family planning, reproductive care and contraception.
On Friday, Ron DeSantis, Florida Governor, praised the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in a statement. He stated that Florida will not accept legal challenges to recent restrictions on abortions. The new law, which takes effect July 1, will ban abortions after 15 week. This is a decrease from the 24-week previous limit.
According to Reuters, Meta Platforms stated that it will pay travel expenses for workers who need out-of-state services. According to a spokesperson, the Facebook owner stated that it was “evaluating how best to do this given the legal complexities involved.”
Dick’s Sporting Goods stated that it would reimburse up to $4,000 for abortion travel expenses “to the nearest legal location” for workers, spouses, and dependents.
“We made this decision so that our teammates can have the same health care options regardless of where they live and choose what’s best for them,” Ed Stack (executive chairman) and Lauren Hobart (CEO) said in a social media statement.
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Patagonia announced Friday that it will cover the cost of medical insurance for part-time and full-time workers. This includes abortion care. The outdoor apparel company said that travel, lodging, and food are all covered “where restrictions exist”.
Patagonia also promised to pay “training and bail” for peaceful protestors for reproductive justice.
In May, a draft Supreme Court decision that upended the 50-year precedent was released. Companies like Starbucks, MasterCard, Paypal, and Paypal said that they would pay for employees who had to travel to seek out reproductive services.
Following restrictive laws in several states, many companies, including Amazon, Citigroup and Microsoft, have announced that they will reimburse employees who undergo abortions in another state.
United for Respect, a worker advocacy group, called for Walmart to expand its health insurance plan. The retailer currently covers abortions only for workers whose lives may be in danger.
According to the group, the retailer’s presence is a sign that it can “step up” and support its associates in the south U.S. states with “trigger laws” banning abortion.
United for Respect released a statement Friday stating that Walmart executives are the country’s largest private employer and can set the example for others by providing support for their associates, adequate maternity leave and paid sick leave and covering expenses for associates who have to travel across state lines in order to access abortion services.
Walmart didn’t respond to our request for comment.
