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‘We’re deeply concerned’: Large Arizona employers offer to pay for employees’ travel to get abortions

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Since the draft opinion of the decision was leaked in May, companies across the country have announced plans to reimburse employees for travel related to seeking an abortion if they live in a state where the procedure is illegal.

Tempe-based GoDaddy announced it would pay for abortion-related travel expenses.

“We’re deeply concerned by the recent changes that limit reproductive rights,” GoDaddy officials said in a statement. “Limiting these rights impacts the ability for people to pursue success on their own terms, which is core to our mission to empower entrepreneurs everywhere, making opportunity more inclusive. That is why a few weeks ago we announced internally that we would be extending our U.S. health benefits to cover travel and travel-related costs for abortion-related and other healthcare needs for employees and their covered spouses and dependents on our health plan.”

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Effective July 1, JPMorgan Chase & Co., which employs about 9,500 people in Arizona, will expand its covered travel benefits to all covered services that cannot be obtained within 50 miles of where the employee lives.

“Our health care plans have historically covered travel benefits for certain covered services that would require travel,” according to a company memo released by JPMorgan Chase. “Beginning in July, we will expand this benefit to include all covered services that can only be obtained far from home, which would include legal abortion.”  

The company had previously only covered certain procedures, like organ transplant or bariatric surgery.

“As always, we’re focused on the health and well-being of our employees and want to ensure equitable access to all benefits,” a JPMorgan Chase spokesperson said in an email.

A spokeswoman for DoorDash, which employs about 1,000 people in Arizona said the company will cover certain travel-related expenses for employees and their dependents enrolled in the company’s health care plan seeking abortions in states where they do not have access.