Target will cover employees’ travel to other states for abortions, company memo says

Target will cover employees’ travel if they live in a state where abortion is banned, according to a company memo obtained by CNBC.

The new policy will take effect in July, according to the email, which was sent to employees Monday from Target’s Chief Human Resources Officer Melissa Kremer.

“For years, our healthcare benefits have included some financial support for travel, when team members needed select healthcare procedures that weren’t available where they live,” Kremer said in the memo. “A few months ago, we started re-evaluating our benefits with the goal of understanding what it would look like if we broadened the travel reimbursement to any care that’s needed and covered – but not available in the team member’s community. This effort became even more relevant as we learned about the Supreme Court’s ruling on abortion, given that it would impact access to healthcare in some states.”

With the reversal of Roe v. Wade, the country has been divided into states where abortion is legal and states where it is outlawed. The court decision has led to a wave of announcements by companies that have committed to providing travel coverage for employees on their health insurance plans. That growing list cuts across industries and includes JPMorgan Chase, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Rivian.

Some companies, like Amazon, already announced they would cover travel for employees who need to seek reproductive healthcare in other states before the Supreme Court decision.

Others have stayed silent. Walmart, the largest private employer in the U.S., has declined to comment on if or how it will allow employees to access abortions. Its headquarters is in Arkansas, which has a state law that triggers an abortion ban.

The top court’s decision has prompted outrage from some employees who have pushed their companies to go further. Hundreds of Amazon employees have signed an internal petition, calling on the tech giant to condemn Supreme Court’s decision, cease operations in states with abortion bans and allow workers to move to other states if they live in a place where the procedure is restricted, according to Business Insider.

CNBC’s John Rosevear contributed to this article.

This story is developing. Please check back for updates.