According To A Survey, More Employers Will Provide Travel Benefits For Abortion Services.

WTW representative: The Dobbs ruling poses issues for employers to which there are no quick fixes.

Following the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling by the Supreme Court, it is anticipated that over the next several years, the number of American companies providing travel benefits for abortion services would double.

More than a third of respondents (35%) currently provide travel and lodging benefits for elective and medically necessary abortions, and another 16% of employers expect to do so in 2023, according to a new poll by WTW, a prominent global advice, brokering, and solutions organization. 21% more people are contemplating including such benefits.

Nearly half (44%) of employers that currently provide or intend to provide travel benefits for abortion services or for any other medical procedures (such as transplant, bariatric, and musculoskeletal surgeries, gender affirmation, and fertility services) have improved those benefits in response to the Supreme Court’s decision, according to the survey, which questioned 305 U.S. employers. Another 46% are thinking about improving these perks in the coming year or in the future. Additionally, 86% of employers match their travel and accommodation compensation for abortion services with those for other procedures.

According to the survey, the majority of plans impose annual caps as the most prevalent limit on abortion travel coverage. 43% of businesses that provide or intend to provide travel perks for abortion services have an annual cap, and 22% anticipate adding one in the future. Companies that provide or intend to provide travel perks for abortions have a lifetime cap of 28% and a per-occurrence cap of 20%. 64 percent of companies will only allow costs up to the IRS tax-free threshold.

The survey also found that most firms with fully and self-insured health plans provide coverage for abortion treatments. By 2023, 93% of businesses with fully insured insurance plans anticipate providing coverage for elective abortions in jurisdictions where the procedure is legal. By 2023, 82% of businesses who self-insure their benefits programs anticipate providing coverage for elective abortions in jurisdictions where such procedures are legal.

Regina Ihrke, senior director and a leader in health, equity, and wellbeing at WTW, says in a statement that many companies are deciding whether and how to help employees who seek abortion services as a new landscape of state laws unfolds. As usual, their main goal is to meet the needs of everyone who enrolls in their benefit plan, regardless of where they live.

Courtney Stubblefield, senior director of Health & Benefits at WTW, adds, “The Dobbs ruling poses challenges for businesses for which there are no immediate answers, given the continual changes in state laws. In order to effectively satisfy employees’ benefit requirements and match benefit plans with organizational goals, employers must stay informed of advances.

Source: https://www.benefitspro.com/2022/08/17/more-employers-will-offer-travel-benefits-for-abortion-services-survey-reveals/