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The number of employers offering abortion travel benefits in the United States is expected to double in the next few years, according to a recent report. survey. The findings echo the Supreme Court’s Dobbs and Jackson Women’s Health decision in Roe v. He overruled Wade.
The August survey by Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company (WTW) surveyed 305 US employers with a total of 4 million employees. More than half or 55% of respondents have self-insured health plans and only 9% have fully insured health plans. The remaining respondents have both plans.
WTW found that 35% of respondents plan to provide travel and accommodation benefits for abortions, with 16% planning to by 2023 and 21% considering it.
Of those who previously offered abortion travel benefits, 44% have upgraded the benefits and 46% plan or are considering upgrading in the next year or so. Another 86 percent of employers are combining travel and lodging benefits for abortion services with other procedures, the survey found.
“As a new landscape of state laws emerges, many employers are deciding whether and how to support employees seeking abortion services,” said Regina Ehrke, senior director and health, equity and safety leader at WTW. News release. “As always, their primary goal is to serve the needs of their benefit plan enrollees, regardless of state.”
Most plans have limits on abortion travel benefits: 43% annual limit, 28% lifetime limit and 20% per occurrence limit. Two-thirds of respondents, or 64%, limit spending to an IRS tax-exempt amount, WTW said.
For the procedure itself, 93% of employers with fully insured plans will cover elective abortions in states where abortion is legal by 2023. This compares to 82% of employers with self-insured plans.
But with abortion laws constantly changing, it’s important for employers to stay informed, said Courtney Stubblefield, senior director of health and benefits at WTW.
“The Dobbs decision raises questions for employers, for whom there are no immediate answers to changes in state laws,” she said. “Employers need to stay abreast of developments to align benefits with organizational goals and meet employee benefits needs.”
Photo: ericphotography, Getty Images
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