Amazon will pay as much as $4,000 to employees who need to travel more than 100 miles to seek non-life-threatening treatments including abortions, according to Reuters who saw a note that went out to staff on Monday.
The company joins Uber and Lyft who have also come out against anti-abortion laws in Oklahoma and Texas and said they will pay any fines incurred for breaking the new laws. According to Amazon, the new benefit is retroactive so anyone who had to travel since January 1 can apply for some of the money.
To be eligible for any money, the person must be a U.S. employee or covered dependent enrolled in the Premera or Aetna health plans – it doesn’t matter whether they work in a corporate office or a warehouse. Amazon employees will only be covered if their treatment is more than 100 miles away or virtual care isn’t available.
Amazon said that the scheme doesn’t only cover abortions. Employees are also able to claim money for treatments such as cardiology, cellular gene therapy, and substance abuse disorder services if they cannot be procured closer to home. For people with life-threatening issues, Amazon already offers up to $10,000. The $4,000 benefit will refill on an annual basis.
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