Starbucks to cover employees’ travel expenses for abortions and gender reassignment surgeries

On Monday, Starbucks said it would begin covering eligible travel expenses for employees seeking an abortion or gender reassurance.

The coffee chain is joining Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and Salesforce in offering to reimburse workers for abortion-related travel expenses after a draft U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade, a landmark 1973 ruling that guaranteed the right to have the procedure, was leaked. Other major companies, such as Walmart and Disney, overwhelmingly chose to remain silent on the draft conclusion.

Starbucks has a reputation for liberal causes, such as active support for same-sex marriage and hiring refugees. This also applies to transgender rights. His health insurance has covered sex reassignment surgery since 2012 and a broader range of gender-affirming procedures like hair transplants or breast reductions since 2018.

As of mid-March, 154 anti-transgender bills have been introduced in state legislatures to limit access to healthcare, sports, toilets and education. according to NBC News.

Employees enrolled in a Starbucks insurance plan who wish to access abortion procedures or gender reassignment will be eligible for travel reimbursement if these services are not available within 100 miles of their home. The benefit also applies to all dependents enrolled in the Starbucks Health Care Program.

A Starbucks spokesperson said the company is still working on additional details, such as when the benefit will go into effect. The company has 240,000 employees in the United States.