JPMorgan Chase, one of the largest employers in the banking industry, will soon begin covering travel costs for workers who must leave their home state to obtain legal abortion services.
Starting July 1, the megabank will expand health care travel benefits to include reimbursement for any covered service that can only be obtained by traveling more than 50 miles from one’s home.
That change means that legal abortion services, which are covered under JPMorgan’s current medical plan, will join a list of other procedures such as organ transplants and bariatric surgery that are available for travel reimbursement.
JPMorgan’s expansion of medical-related travel benefits emerged Friday as news spread of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. By voting 6-3 to uphold a Mississippi law that would ban nearly all abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, the court eliminated the constitutional right to an abortion, which has been in place for nearly half a century.
JPMorgan Chase declined on Friday to comment on the court’s decision. But in an email, a spokesperson addressed the company’s upcoming changes in travel reimbursement expenses.
“As always, we’re focused on the health and well-being of our employees, and want to ensure equitable access to all benefits,” the spokesperson said.
The megabank will cover costs incurred by employees and family members who travel out of state to receive an abortion. The policy drew immediate fire from Republicans in Texas, which has banned abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, and where Citi has been tangling with the GOP over gun policies.
JPMorgan’s decision to cover travel expenses for abortion services is the latest move by a large U.S. corporation to make sure that employees and their families can obtain legal abortions.
Citigroup, Apple, Amazon and Starbucks are providing similar benefits. Citi
Like Citi, JPMorgan is offering the travel benefits to employees and any enrolled spouses or partners and dependents who are also covered on the company’s U.S. medical plan.
