Verizon, Kellogg, Kraft Heinz Will Cover Abortion Travel

Scott Moritz and Deena Shanker, Bloomberg News

The US Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., US, on Thursday, June 30, 2022. President Biden today said he would support changing the Senate's filibuster rules to pass legislation ensuring privacy rights and access to abortion, calling the Supreme Court "destabilizing" for controversial decisions, including overturning Roe v. Wade. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg , Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Verizon Communications Inc., Kellogg Co. and Kraft Heinz Co. said their employee health programs cover travel expenses for out-of-state medical procedures such as abortions.

The companies disclosed details about their policies in response to questions following the Supreme Court decision last week to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Worker benefits at Verizon include health-care coverage for travel outside the state if services aren’t available within an employee’s state of residence. Those benefits were in place before the court decision, a Verizon spokesman said Thursday.

Verizon has about 120,000 employees in nearly every state in the US. The company joins mobile peers AT&T Inc. and T-Mobile US Inc. in disclosing travel-reimbursement policies following the landmark ruling.

Kellogg’s health coverage has also included abortions “for years,” the company said Thursday. It added that it’s “committed to ensuring our employees have equal access to quality health care regardless of where they live.” Workers and family members enrolled in the benefits program have coverage for travel reimbursement for eligible medical procedures not available in their home state, spokesperson Kris Bahner said.

Kraft Heinz’s health-care plan already included abortion procedures, a spokesperson said Thursday, and now includes travel for the procedures as well. These benefits are available to full-time employees working thirty hours a week or more.

(Updates with statement from Kraft Heinz in sixth paragraph.)