(Reuters) – Goldman Sachs Group Inc is reviewing its policies for abortion benefits, according to a person familiar with the bank’s thinking, as companies rush to offer support to their U.S. employees if the country’s top court overturns abortion rights.
JPMorgan Chase & Co is also discussing extending abortion benefits for employees to cover travel, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, citing people with knowledge of the matter. Goldman’s plans were also first reported by Bloomberg News.
The review is being undertaken in the context of a final decision from the Supreme Court and associated state laws, the person said, adding that the bank was focusing on understanding the potential impact on healthcare choices.
The U.S. Supreme Court looks set to vote to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide, according to a leaked initial draft majority opinion published by Politico on Monday.
Spokespeople for JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs declined to comment.
Other companies including Levi Strauss & Co and Amazon.com Inc have pledged to offer similar support to their U.S. employees who need to travel out of states like Texas and Oklahoma that have restricted access to abortion services.
In March, Citigroup started covering travel expenses for employees who go out of state for abortions because of newly enacted restrictions in Texas and other places, becoming the first major U.S. bank to make that commitment.
(Reporting by Manya Saini and Niket Nishant in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)
