Following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, major corporations including Disney, Amazon, Meta, Paramount, Starbucks, Tesla, Yelp, Airbnb, and Netflix have announced they will cover travel expenses related to abortion services for their employees, particularly in states where they operate that have declared bans on such health services.
The Walt Disney Company announced in a letter signed by Paul Richardson, head of Human Resources for the company, and the vice president of Benefits and Wellbeing, Pascale Thomas, that the company is committed to its employees, families and reproductive care.
"Please know that our company remains committed to removing barriers and providing comprehensive access to quality, affordable care for all of our employees, cast members and their families, including family planning and reproductive care, regardless of where they live," the document states.
The company also explains that it has processes in place to ensure that employees who cannot access care in one location have affordable coverage to receive similar levels of care elsewhere.
This travel benefit, he said, covers medical situations related to cancer treatments, transplants, treatment of rare diseases and family planning ‒ including decisions related to pregnancy.
Amazon, the country's second-largest private employer, told its staff on Monday it will pay up to $4,000 in travel expenses annually for non-life-threatening medical treatments, including abortions, according to a message seen by Reuters news agency.
Amazon’s new benefit, effective retroactively on Jan. 1, applies if an operation is unavailable within 100 miles (161 km) of an employee’s home and virtual care is not possible, and is open to U.S. employees or covered dependents enrolled in Premera or Aetna health plans, whether they work in a corporate office or warehouse.
Warner Brothers said it would cover travel expenses for abortions. “In light of the recent Supreme Court decision, we immediately expanded our health care benefit options to cover transportation expenses for employees and their covered family members who need to travel to access abortion and reproductive care,” a company spokesperson told The New York Times.
A Meta spokesperson told the same outlet that they intend to offer travel expense reimbursements, to the extent permitted by law, for employees who will need them to access reproductive and health services out of state. “We are in the process of evaluating the best way to do so given the legal complexities involved.”
Condé Nast, meanwhile, said it would cover travel and lodging for employees seeking abortions. "This is a devastating blow to reproductive rights that have been protected for nearly half a century," said Roger Lynch, the publisher's chief executive.
Zillow said it would reimburse employees up to $7,500 when major travel is required for medical procedures, including abortions.
Patagonia reaffirmed its commitment to covering travel expenses for employees who have abortions: “Caring for employees goes beyond basic health insurance,” the company said on LinkedIn. “It means supporting employees’ decisions about whether or when to have a child.”
Lyft, which had previously said it would cover ride costs for abortions, said the Supreme Court's decision "will harm millions of women by taking away their access to safe, private reproductive health services."
It also said it was expanding its “legal advocacy commitment” to protect drivers who may be sued for taking people to clinics. “No driver should have to ask a passenger where they are going and why,” Lyft said.
Uber emphasized the company’s insurance coverage for “a range of reproductive health benefits, including pregnancy termination” and its commitment to covering travel expenses for employees accessing health care services.
Like Lyft, it said it will continue to support drivers, reimbursing legal fees if any driver is sued under state law for providing transportation on the platform to a clinic.
With information from Reuters and The New York Times
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