3. GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

Wells Fargo, Bridgestone cover abortion travel; Hy-Vee among undecided – Des Moines Register

Written by Amanda

Some companies with large Iowa operations will cover travel expenses for employees seeking abortions in the wake of Friday’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling that gave states the ability to ban the procedure.

The human resources department of Wells Fargo & Co. sent workers an email Monday, informing them that the banking giant’s health care plan will reimburse them for “reasonable and necessary” transportation and lodging expenses tied to abortions beginning July 1. The announcement follows similar policy changes at other national employers, including companies with prominent central Iowa locations like Amazon.com and Bridgestone Americas.  

Some other employers around the state, meanwhile, told the Des Moines Register they have not made any policy changes following the Supreme Court’s decision.

Despite the federal ruling, abortions are still legal in Iowa. But the governor and state House and Senate majorities oppose abortion, raising the possibility that lawmakers may move to ban or severely restrict abortion.

More:How are Iowa abortion laws affected by the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturn of Roe v. Wade?

In its letter to employees, the human resources team for Wells Fargo, whose home mortgage operation is the Des Moines metro’s largest private employer, said the policy change applies to workers who have health insurance through the company and who do not have access to a legal abortion provider within 50 miles of their homes. In addition to transportation costs, the company’s health insurance plan will cover lodging for the employee and one companion.

Amazon, which has warehouses in Ankeny, Bondurant and Grimes, told workers on May 2 that it will provide up to $4,000 apiece for employees who need to travel more than 100 miles for an abortion, according to Reuters.

The online retailer, the second-largest employer in the United States, made the change after some states passed “trigger” laws banning abortion in the event that the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that guaranteed the right to the procedure, as it did Friday.

Emily Weaver, a spokesperson for Bridgestone, whose farm tire factory in Des Moines is among the world’s largest, said in an email Monday that it will change its health care plan to cover travel costs for abortions. She said the company already covers the cost of travel for other health care services.

“Going forward, we will extend this travel and lodging benefit more broadly to covered abortion services, to the extent permitted by applicable laws,” she said. “We will be working with our healthcare administrator to implement this expanded travel and lodging benefit as soon as it can be administered effectively.”

More:‘Our doors remain open’ in Iowa, Planned Parenthood says after Supreme Court abortion decision

Some other prominent Iowa companies have not followed suit. Spokespeople for Dee Zee, EMC Insurance, Pella Corp., UnityPoint Health and Vermeer said Monday that they have not changed their health care policies.

Geoff Greenwood, a spokesperson for MidAmerican Energy Co., said the company is “reviewing the ruling and will continue to support our employees’ health care needs.” Spokespeople for Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. and Hy-Vee said their companies have not decided whether to make a change.

More:Mayor of first Iowa town to outlaw abortion is pleased with overturn of Roe v. Wade

“We are constantly reviewing the offerings and plans we provide as options to our employees,” Hy-Vee spokesperson Christina Gayman said. “We are currently monitoring how the states we are in will be addressing this.”

Tyler Jett covers jobs and the economy for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at tjett@registermedia.com, 515-284-8215, or on Twitter at @LetsJett.

Source: desmoinesregister.com

About the author

Amanda

Hi there, I am Amanda and I work as an editor at impactinvesting.ai;  if you are interested in my services, please reach me at amanda.impactinvesting.ai