The recently leaked draft of a Supreme Court decision that signals a likely overturning of Roe v. Wade has abortion activists up in arms — and a number of companies stepping forward to ensure abortion access for U.S. employees. Some had already done so following the passage of restrictive laws in states like Texas, while others are just now making announcements, including Starbucks — which says it isn't stopping at abortion access, either.
Starbucks is joining other large companies in offering to cover travel expenses for employees seeking abortions. But it's going one step further: The company now says it will also reimburse travel expenses for any employees who need gender-affirming surgeries if they are unable to get them within 100 miles of their home. The company's health insurance plans have covered gender reassignment surgeries since 2012, along with other gender-affirming procedures, according to CNBC.
Electric vehicle giant Tesla has said it will cover travel expenses for employees who have to travel for out-of-state abortions. The company moved its headquarters last year to Texas, where abortions performed beyond six weeks of pregnancy are banned. In its 2021 Impact Report, the company stated that its health insurance and Safety Net programs have been expanded to include "travel and lodging support for those who may need to seek healthcare services that are unavailable in their home state."
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Amazon has told staff that the company will pay up to $4,000 in travel expenses annually to cover non-life-threatening medical treatments, including abortions. This will be a benefit for all U.S. employees with Premera or Aetna health plans, and apply only if the procedure the employee requests is not available within 100 miles.
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The maker of Levi's said in a statement that employees can be reimbursed for travel outside their home state to get medical services, including abortion, if they can’t get those services where they live. This benefit also applies to part-time employees and others who aren’t part of the company’s benefits plan.
The online review and recommendation site has said it will cover travel expenses for workers in states that have laws restricting abortion. While Yelp instituted the policy after the passage of the Texas Heartbeat Act, which banned abortions after six weeks, the company said it will apply to staff affected by “current or future action that restricts access to covered reproductive health care.”
Under a new policy, the bank will cover expenses for employees who have to travel out of state for an abortion. "In response to changes in reproductive health care laws in certain states in the U.S., beginning in 2022 we provide travel benefits to facilitate access to adequate resources," the company said in a regulatory filing.
The ride-sharing apps have said they are working with health-care providers to offer rides to clients who must travel out of state to get reproductive care — and that the companies will cover fines their drivers might get for providing the rides.
After the Texas Heartbeat Act became law in 2021, Apple CEO Tim Cook informed employees that the company’s medical insurance plan would cover the cost of travel (if needed) as well as abortion treatment.
Following the changes to abortion access in Texas, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff stated the company would pay for any of its Texas-based employees to relocate out of the state if they chose.
The CEO of Match Group (which also owns Tinder, Plenty of Fish, and OKCupid), Shar Dubey, personally set up a fund to cover the cost of employee travel for abortion access. Dubey told employees, "I immigrated to America from India over 25 years ago and I have to say, as a Texas resident, I am shocked that I now live in a state where women's reproductive laws are more regressive than most of the world, including India.”
The Austin, Texas, dating app company created a fund to support “the reproductive rights of women and people across the gender spectrum who seek abortions in Texas,” according to a company Twitter post. The money goes to organizations such as Fund Texas Choice.
The tech company, which is based in Texas, told Wired that the company’s medical plan covers medical treatments received outside of the state, including abortions.
