On the heels of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v Wade, a number of top studios and entertainment giants — including Comcast, Disney, Netflix, Paramount, Warner Bros Discovery — vowed to pay travel expenses for employees looking to get abortions.
With the end of Roe v Wade, up to 14 states will quickly move to restrict abortions far more than they have for the last fifty years. And the ruling has spurred companies including Sony and Hollywood talent agencies WME, CAA, and UTA to inform employees that their expenses will be covered if they have to travel to a different state to get an abortion procedure.
Netflix, for instance, offers a $10,000 lifetime travel allowance for abortions, according to the company. Disney also offers such benefits.
Others acted to communicate with employees today. Immediately after the decision was handed down, for instance, Paramount chief Bob Bakish sent an email reassuring employees that they will be covered if they have to travel for their abortion procedure.
“Across the country, we have entered a moment of profound uncertainty. In the face of this uncertainty, we want to be very clear about what will not change at Paramount.” His email then highlighted company health policies, including the coverage of travel-related expenses “if the covered health service, such as abortion, is prohibited in your area,” Bakish wrote.
Warner Bros Discovery also responded to the court decision by telling employees that the company is “immediately expanding our healthcare benefits options to include expenses for employees and their covered family members who need to travel to access a range of medical procedures, including care for abortions, family planning and reproductive health.”
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