Key Considerations When Offering Abortion Coverage Under A Group Health Plan

Not surprisingly, leading up to and in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, our employee benefits team has been spending a lot of time helping our clients wade through the many issues associated with providing abortion-related benefits to their employees. This article will cover some of the key considerations we have been counseling our clients to consider when covering abortion and abortion travel benefits under a group health plan, which could be directly through their major medical plan or under a health reimbursement arrangement (HRA) that is integrated with a group major medical plan. There are also other potential ways for employers to provide an abortion travel benefit separately from the group health plan approach, including through an employee assistance program or a broad wellness travel policy. We will publish a separate article on those options in the coming weeks.