New York
CNN Business
—
After the Supreme Court ruled Friday to overturn Roe v. Wade, corporate giants from various sectors have pledged to provide support and financial assistance to employees – and, in some cases, to their dependents – seeking abortions in states that prohibit the procedure.
The court’s decision to overturn the nearly 50-year-old landmark decision, which protected the federal constitutional right to abortion, is expected to transform America’s reproductive health landscape, leaving abortion policy to individual states and opening up the path for many states to enact new restrictions on abortion. On Friday afternoon, state officials in at least seven states said new abortion bans could now be enforced.
Millions of people seeking abortions may soon be forced to cross state lines to access the procedure, increasing the cost of an already often expensive health service. For many, employer benefits may be the only way to afford an abortion.
In response, companies, some of which have headquarters or offices in Republican-controlled states, are taking action. Companies such as Citigroup (C), Salesforce (CRM) and Match Group (MTCH) first pledged financial support to employees seeking abortions in affected states after a draft version of the advisory leaked in May. Many more followed suit on Friday. Some, including Bumble and Lyft, have also said they will donate to organizations that support women’s rights, such as Planned Parenthood and Fund Texas Choice.
Corporate America is increasingly pulled from the political sidelines on the abortion issue in response to pressure from investors, customers and employees. Companies are also struggling to attract and retain talent and are concerned about the impact these states’ anti-abortion laws could have on their workers.
Here are some of the top companies offering expanded assistance to personnel in states limiting abortion care.
Microsoft (MSFT) has extended its financial support for ‘essential healthcare’, including abortions and gender-affirming care, to include coverage for travel costs for these services, after the draft first leaked notice quashing Roe.
According to an Apple (AAPL) spokesperson, the company’s existing benefits program allows employees to travel out of state for medical care if it is not available in their home state. .
The tech giant intends to offer travel reimbursement “to the extent permitted by law” to employees seeking out-of-state health care and reproductive services, according to a carrier. word. “We are evaluating how best to do this given the legal complexities involved,” Meta’s spokesperson said in a statement.
Yelp’s existing health care plan for US employees pays wives, family members and partners to travel out of states with strict abortion laws, such as Texas and Oklahoma, which prohibit abortions. abortions after 6 weeks.
“This decision puts women’s health at risk, strips them of their human rights, and threatens to undo the progress we’ve made toward workplace gender equality since Roe,” said Jeremy Stoppelman, co-founder from Yelp (YELP). statement on Friday. “Business leaders must step up to support the health and safety of their employees by speaking out against the wave of abortion bans that will be unleashed as a result of this decision, and calling on Congress to codify Roe into law.”
Disney (DIS) employees who cannot access medical care at one location will receive affordable coverage to access the same care at another location, according to a company spokesperson. The benefit covers family planning and decisions related to pregnancy.
Uber’s (UBER) US insurance plans already cover reproductive health benefits, including abortion and travel costs to access health care. The ride-sharing company will also reimburse any driver prosecuted under state law for providing transportation to a clinic through the app, according to an Uber (UBER) spokesperson.
The streaming company offers travel reimbursement coverage for full-time U.S. employees and their dependents who must travel for health treatments, including abortions and gender-affirming care, a carrier said. Netflix (NFLX) word to CNN. The company pays a lifetime allowance of $10,000 per employee (or their dependents) per service.
Bumble (BMBL), a dating app focused on women, said on Friday it would support its employees’ ability to access the “health services they need,” including abortion care. A spokesperson for Bumble (BMBL) added that the company would donate to the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
“Abortion is health care, and health care is a human right. We are deeply troubled by the Supreme Court’s decision,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
Dating app company Match Group (MTCH) partnered with Planned Parenthood Los Angeles in October to provide abortion access to its Texas employees and their dependents. The company is currently considering extending this benefit to all of its U.S. staff, including remote employees in states with trigger laws that may soon ban abortions, according to a Match spokesperson. Match health care plans also help cover travel and accommodation costs for employees who must travel to receive care, the spokesperson said.
Box.com will cover employee travel and medical expenses incurred by employees while seeking reproduction services.
The denim company said through the Levi Strauss Foundation that it provides grants to the Center for Reproductive Rights, the Afiya Center and ARC South East, which provides direct assistance to women and men. communities in need of care. The company previously said that under its benefits plan, employees could be reimbursed for travel expenses for services not available in their home country, including abortion. Part-time staff and others who are not included in the company’s benefits plan are also eligible for reimbursement, he said.
Comcast (CCZ) has an existing healthcare travel benefit for all employees that covers up to $4,000 per trip, up to three trips per year, with a maximum coverage cap of $10,000 per year. The amount paid depends on the type of health care procedure, but abortion care is covered, according to the company.
Warner Brothers Discovery, owner of CNN, on Friday expanded health care benefit options to include expenses for covered employees and family members who must travel to access abortions and other reproductive care, according to a company spokesperson.
JPMorgan (JPM) said on Friday that its health care benefits have long covered abortion care. And from July, abortion will be included in the company’s healthcare travel allowance which covers services that can only be obtained away from home, according to spokesman Joseph Evangelisti.
The sportswear company said in a statement that it covers travel and accommodation costs in situations where health services are not available close to home, according to a Nike (NKE) statement released on Friday. .
“No matter where our teammates are on their family planning journey – from birth control and abortion coverage, to pregnancy support and family building, to fertility benefits, maternity surrogacy and adoption – we are here to support their decisions,” the statement read.
The coffee company is offering employees enrolled in its health care plan a medical travel benefit to access an abortion, according to a public letter to employees by Sara Kelly, acting executive vice president of Starbucks Partner Resources (SBUX). .
“We all have to deal with this in our own way, and as you do, here’s what I want you to know: No matter where you live or what you believe in, we will always make sure you have access to healthcare. of quality,” Kelly said in the letter.
For employees who live in a state that restricts access to abortion, Dick’s will provide up to $4,000 in reimbursement for travel costs to travel to the closest location where care is legally available, a the company said in a statement Friday. The benefit will be available to any employee, spouse or dependent on their medical insurance plan, as well as a support person.
The grocer’s healthcare package includes travel benefits of up to $4,000 to facilitate access to reproductive health services, including abortion and fertility treatments, according to a spokesperson for Kroger (KR).
Alaska Airlines said in a statement that it has always provided travel reimbursements for “certain medical procedures and treatments if they are not available where you live.”
“Today’s Supreme Court decision does not change that,” he said.
Goldman Sachs (FADXX) on Friday extended its healthcare travel reimbursement policies to include all medical procedures, treatments and assessments, including abortion services, in areas where a provider is not not available near the place of residence of its employees, a benefit that will come into effect on July 1. , according to an internal memo obtained by CNN.
Zillow (Z) said in a statement Friday that its health benefits cover a wide range of reproductive health services, including abortions. The company said that effective June 1, its health plan was updated to include reimbursement of up to $7,500 “whenever significant travel is required to access health care, including reproduction services”.
