JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — First Coast News has reached out to those companies offering thousands of dollars of financial assistance to their employees who need to get an abortion in another state.
A statement from Starbucks says, "We have provided partners enrolled in Starbucks healthcare plan a medical travel reimbursement benefit to access an abortion."
A statement from Netflix says, "Netflix offers a travel reimbursement coverage for full-time U.S. employees and their dependents who need to travel for cancer treatment, transplants, gender affirming care, or abortion through our U.S. health plans.”
Dicks Sporting Goods posted a press release on their Instagram page that says, “We are announcing that if the state you live in restricts access to abortion, Dick’s Sporting Goods will provide up to 4 thousand dollars in travel expense reimbursement to travel to the nearest location where that care is legally available.”
“Employers are required under the Americans with Disability Act to maintain the confidentiality of medical records and other employees therefore there is that protection," said Attorney Tad Delegal.
Delegal says those companies who are covering travel cost for employees who need abortion access will go about the process like any other medical matter.
“So an employee who is seeking to obtain a service relating to abortion or other healthcare matter can contact an employer. There should be a designated person to contact usually in the HR department," said Delegal.
Delegal says while it is too early to tell, he says certain states may try to prevent companies from financially assisting their employees to get an abortion out of state.
“Also I think what’s really important for women who seek out these kinds of benefits. There is protection the Pregnancy Discrimination Act does prevent an employer from retaliating against an employee for a pregnancy related condition and abortion would be deemed as a pregnancy related condition," said Delegal.