In the days since the US Supreme Court overturned federal abortion protections, dozens of companies have pledged to cover travel expenses for employees seeking abortions who live in states that have restricted or prohibited the procedure.
Many corporations, such as Starbucks and Tesla, issued public statements and internal memos in May on their commitment to aiding reproductive care after POLITICO released the leaked draft opinion striking down Roe v. Wade. Since the official ruling released Friday, more companies — including banks, retailers, and tech firms — have stated they will cover or reimburse abortion-related travel costs for employees.
In their announcements, several companies emphasized the need to equalize health care coverage for employees who live in different states, even if that meant some customers would oppose their decisions. Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman wrote in a May Fast Company column that this was particularly true as more companies have employees working remotely. Some workers might not have equal access to abortion care even if their company is located in a state where services remain available.
“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 triggered as a result of this decision,” Stoppelman wrote in a statement to the Globe.
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Financial support for employees is coming in different forms. Some companies said that they’ve amended their health care policies to cover travel for some services. Johnson & Johnson, for example, said it will reimburse travel for “eligible medical services not available from any in-network or out-of-network provider within 100 miles of the patient’s home,” with reproductive healthcare being an eligible treatment.
Other companies, like Buzzfeed, have said that they will create company stipends to assist travel for employees who live in states where abortion is now restricted. Buzzfeed CEO Jonah Peretti said the process at his company “will be completely confidential.”
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“Effective immediately, we will provide a stipend for anyone residing in the 13 states with triggering abortion ending laws to cover the cost for travel and expenses required for access to safe abortion,” Peretti wrote in a memo to employees on Friday.
Below are more of the companies that say they will pay for employees’ abortion-related travel expenses:
- Accenture’s reproductive health care benefits include abortion services, and the company will assist with travel-related expenses if care is not offered within 100 miles of an employee’s residence.
- Adobe said that its health care plans “offer consistent access to care and resources, independent of geography, which includes the coverage of abortion services and travel or lodging that may be required to obtain those services.”
- Airbnb will reimburse participants covered by its U.S. health plans for traveling to other states to receive lawful reproductive services. That policy follows commitments the company made last fall just before Texas passed SB 8, a bill banning abortions after six weeks.
- Allbirds CEO Joseph Zwillinger shared on LinkedIn that the company will cover travel costs for employees to get abortions out of state, as well as costs for a companion to travel with them and childcare. “If you are an employee who would like to seek an abortion, we will support you in that effort,” Zwillinger wrote.
- Amalgamated Bank said in May they will cover travel expenses for employees’ out-of-state reproductive health care, which includes plane fare or gas money, hotel fees, meals, and up to five days of childcare for those who already have children. They also launched the Critical Reproductive Access Fund to fundraise for organizations “responding to the abortion access crisis.”
- Bank of America told the Globe the company has “expanded the list of medical treatments that are eligible for travel expense reimbursement” for employees and dependents under their U.S. health plans. Reproductive healthcare, including abortion, was added to eligible treatments.
- Biogen, based in Cambridge, said that they will reimburse employees’ travel expenses for health services including abortion if access is not available within a 100-mile radius. The company said on LinkedIn that the Biogen Foundation would also provide a 100 percent match for donations made to “organizations focused on reproductive health.”
- Condé Nast CEO Roger Lynch called the Supreme Court decision a “crushing blow to reproductive rights” in an email to staff Friday morning. Lynch wrote that the company enhanced its health benefits to make employees and dependents covered under their health plans eligible for travel and lodging reimbursement for abortion, infertility, or gender-affirming services.
- DICK’S Sporting Goods will provide up to $4,000 in reimbursement for abortion-related travel expenses to the nearest legal location, according to a Friday LinkedIn post from President and CEO Lauren Hobart. It will cover anyone enrolled in the company’s medical plan, along with one support person.
- Doordash will “cover certain travel-related expenses for employees who face new barriers to access and need to travel out of state for abortion-related care,” according to a DoorDash spokesperson.
- Eastern Bank tweeted Friday that they “urge all companies to join us in providing financial support for employees & their family who must travel for abortion care.”
- Expedia Group expanded its medical benefits policy to cover travel costs “if employees are seeking healthcare that is not provided in their state.” Employees can take time off in accordance with leave policies “and do not need to note a reason,” the statement added.
- H&M established an employee financial assistance program for “eligible U.S. employees who may reside in a state that restricts or prohibits abortion services. The program will cover certain travel and transport services relating to out-of-state procedures.”
- Intuit has expanded its healthcare coverage to ensure employees have access to “comprehensive and equitable healthcare,” which includes reproductive healthcare, regardless of where they live.
- Lyft President of Business Affairs Kristin Sverchek wrote in a Friday blog post that their medical plan covers elective abortions and reimbursement for travel costs if an employee travels over 100 miles for a provider. The company also donated $1 million to Planned Parenthood in September, Sverchek wrote.
- Mastercard told employees in May that they will assist with travel costs for employees that cannot get abortions in their home state. “We will continue to offer employees access to the same healthcare that is available today wherever they live,” a spokesperson said.
- Microsoft said its healthcare plans include services like abortion and gender-affirming care for employees and enrolled dependents. The company says it has extended its support to include travel expense assistance if access is “limited in availability in an employee’s home geographic region.”
- Meta said it plans to implement a policy for employees to be reimbursed for abortion-related, out-of-state travel costs. “We are in the process of assessing how best to do so, given the legal complexities involved,” a spokesperson said.
- Netflix has full travel reimbursement coverage for full-time employees and dependents who travel for procedures including abortion, with a $10,000 lifetime allowance per employee. Employees must go through their health insurance providers for reimbursements.
- Nike said the company will assist with “travel and lodging expenses in situations where services are not available close to home” and will adjust benefits as needed to ensure employees have equitable health care.
- Patagonia said in a statement on LinkedIn that U.S. employees on its health plans will get travel, lodging, and food covered for abortion care where restrictions exist.
- PayPal President and CEO Dan Schulman shared a note on LinkedIn that employees under PayPal’s benefits program have “access to resources needed to make reproductive health decisions, regardless of where they live.” A separate assistance program is also available for those not covered. “I understand the anxiety and concern that many of you and your families may be feeling at this moment. I want to be clear: caring for our employees is our highest priority,” Schulman wrote.
- PricewaterhouseCoopers Chairman Tim Ryan wrote to employees that their healthcare insurance offers “health care services and related expenses for pregnancy termination,” and that they can apply for financial assistance grants through various funds. “I know that some of you will think that I haven’t said enough in this note and that some of you will think that I’ve said too much,” Ryan wrote. “What I hope you take away from it is that I care.”
- Salesforce last fall offered financial help for employees and families to relocate, after a Texas law restricting abortion went into effect, according to CNBC. CEO Marc Benioff tweeted the story in September, adding, “Ohana” — a Hawaiian term meaning family — “if you want to move we’ll help you exit TX. Your choice.”
- Starbucks announced Friday employees enrolled in its healthcare plans can access a medical travel reimbursement benefit for abortion care.
- Target Chief Human Resources Officer Melissa Kremer shared in an internal memo to employees Monday that in July, the company will expand its healthcare travel reimbursement policy. That policy now includes reproductive services, mental health, cardiac care “and other services that are out of reach in some communities.”
- Tesla announced in a 2021 corporate report that the company had begun offering an “expanded Safety Net program and health insurance offering that includes travel and lodging support for those who may need to seek healthcare services that are unavailable in their home state.” Tesla moved its headquarters to Austin, Texas, in December.
- Warner Bros. Discovery “immediately expanded” its healthcare benefits to cover transportation expenses for employees and covered family members who need to access abortion and reproductive care after the court’s ruling, according to a spokesperson.
- Wells Fargo expanded its medical plans’ travel benefits to include reimbursement for travel costs related to abortion services.
- Yelp’s health insurance previously covered abortions, and its updated policy provides travel benefits for employees and covered dependents who need to travel out of state to access those services.
- Zillow updated its health plan to reimburse up to $7,500 “each time significant travel is necessary to access health care, including reproductive services or gender-affirming care,” a spokesperson said. Their health plans already covered abortions, but the new reimbursement policy went into place June 1.
Anjali Huynh was a Globe intern in 2022.Follow her on Twitter @anjalihuynh.