A slew of companies will cover travel expenses for employees that have to travel out of their state for an abortion after the Supreme Court overturned federal protections for the procedure.
Gemunu Amarasinghe / AP
JPMorgan Chase, the largest bank in America, and two athletic apparel giants with a significant presence in the Northwest have joined a host of companies saying they will cover the cost for employees who need to travel out of state for abortions.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday officially reversed Roe v. Wade, declaring that the constitutional right to abortion upheld for nearly a half century, no longer exists.
Without federal protection, states are now responsible for codifying their own laws surrounding abortion. Some have already passed laws banning nearly all abortions.
JP Morgan told employees in a memo that if they live in states where abortion is outlawed, the company will cover the cost of travel to a state where it’s legal, beginning in July.
Nike and Adidas have also issued statements saying they’ll help employees access abortion if the procedure is restricted where they live. While abortion access is still protected in Oregon, the two companies also have employees in states where abortion will now be banned or severely restricted.
Nike, which is headquartered near Beaverton, says abortion is covered in its family planning benefits. The athletic apparel giant says it will cover travel and lodging expenses for employees who can’t access services nearby.
Portland is home to the North American headquarters of Adidas, which offered an even more specific commitment to its U.S. employees in a statement released Friday.
“Our comprehensive medical plans will continue to cover reproductive resources like contraception and abortion support, pregnancy, fertility, and other family planning and building services,” Adidas said in an emailed statement. “Where availability of abortion services may not be accessible close to home, our plan now covers travel and lodging expenses, up to $10,000 per occurrence, for all U.S. employees enrolled in the plan.”
A statement from Oregon’s largest corporate employer, Intel, also signaled ongoing healthcare coverage for employees seeking abortions, but its statement was more cautious and vague.
“Our U.S. healthcare options cover a wide range of medical treatments, including abortion where permitted, as part of our overall family planning benefits,” the statement said. “Intel will continue to provide resources for those who need to travel for safe, timely healthcare.”
After the initial statement from JP Morgan, numerous companies issued statements and internal memos to employees. They include:
These companies join a previous wave of corporations that had made similar announcements after a Supreme Court opinion leaked in early May suggesting this outcome.
Those companies include:
"Access to reproductive health care, including abortion, has been a critical factor to the workplace gains and contributions women have made over the past 50 years," a May 4 statement from Levi's said.
Media company Condé Nast said it will pay for travel and lodging costs if employees need to travel out of their state for an abortion, according to an internal memo from CEO Roger Lynch to employees of the publisher of Vogue, New Yorker and Vanity Fair, among others.
"It is a crushing blow to reproductive rights that have been protected for nearly half a century," Lynch said in the memo obtained by NPR.
Condé Nast said the company has made enhancements to its U.S. health benefits to help employees and their dependents get access to reproductive care regardless of where they reside.
Lynch went further in his email to exhort his employees to use their journalism to respond in this moment.
"The most powerful way for us to respond to what's happening right now is through our brands and the distinctive editorial lenses with which they're covering today's news and the effect it will have on society," he said. "Our values are clear in the content and journalism we produce."
OPB reporter Kate Davidson and editor Rob Manning contributed to this story.
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