Several US companies, including Apple, Walt Disney, Intel, Jp Morgan, Microsoft and Meta, have pledged to cover the expenses of employees who will have to travel to another state to perform an abortion, after the Supreme Court canceled the its constitutional protection.
On Friday, the US Supreme Court overturned the historic 1973 Roe vs Wade ruling that recognized a woman’s right to abortion, handing a victory to Republicans and religious conservatives who want to limit or ban the practice. Many states are already taking action. In Oklahoma, for example, a law that goes into effect in August bans abortion except for medical emergencies and punishes providers who violate the law with fines of up to $ 100,000 and 10 years in prison. States that offer abortion protection include New York and Maryland.
Friday the Disney has communicated to its employees that it remains committed to providing comprehensive access to quality health care, including for abortion. The company’s benefits will cover the costs of employees who have to travel to another location to access treatment. Meta, which owns Facebook, will reimburse travel expenses for employees seeking reproductive care out of state, but the company was also “considering how best to do this, given the legal complexities,” according to a spokesperson.
Google: ok to transfers without justification
Employees of Google who want to can apply for transfer to another state “without justification”. The decision, contained in an email to the Mountain View company staff. “To support employees and their dependents – adds the communication – our benefits plan and health insurance covers out-of-state medical procedures if they are not available where an employee lives and works. You can also request the transfer without justification ».
Protests are spreading
In the meantime, protests from the pro-abortion front continue and expand. During the night between Friday and Saturday, police in Phoenix, Arizona used tear gas to disperse an abortion protest. According to the agents, the demonstrators had “repeatedly punched the glass door of the Senate entrance.” New demonstrations are planned for the weekend across the United States, in cities from New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania to Wisconsin, Illinois, Texas, New Mexico and California.