Target Will Pay For Employee Travel For Abortions

MINNEAPOLIS — Target Corp. will cover employees’ travel to obtain an abortion if they live in a state where abortion is banned, according to a memo viewed by Patch.

The Minneapolis-based retail giant is the latest in a series of corporations vowing to help employees obtain abortions since Row v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court on Friday.

Target's new policy will take effect in July.

Target joins Meta, American Express, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, Apple, Starbucks, and Lyft among companies that vowed to pay for employees' abortion-related costs.

In addition, Patagonia promised on Friday to provide its workers with "training and bail for those who peacefully protest for reproductive justice."

Read the entire memo from Target below:

Week in and week out, Target leads by caring for our team and creating an inclusive environment for all. And that stays true no matter what’s happening in the world around us.

Today, we’re sharing an update on our benefits in the spirit of doing what we can to ensure our team has equal access to high-quality, low-cost care through our healthcare benefits. This has been a long-standing commitment, and one of the many ways we listen to and support our team members who are the heart of our success.

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. 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.

As a result of this work, beginning in July, we’ll expand our healthcare travel reimbursement policy to include care that’s covered in our plan but may not be not offered close to home, including not only reproductive services, but also mental health, cardiac care and other services that are out of reach in some communities.

Finally, it’s important to me to acknowledge that how we show up with care and inclusivity goes far beyond the benefits we provide. Every day, I’m proud to see team members recognize and respect a wide spectrum of beliefs and opinions that other team members and guests hold close – even if those beliefs differ from their own. In fact, I’m grateful for all the ways we care for each other with grace and understanding, especially as we process and navigate deeply personal issues.

One last reminder, team. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Team Member Life Resources, your health plan, or your leader if you need support, or have questions. We’re always here for you.

Abortion remains legal in Target's home state

The Minneapolis area is set to become an abortion destination following the Supreme Court's ruling. Unlike in the vast majority of states in the Midwest, abortion will remain legal in Minnesota.

Over the weekend, Gov. Tim Walz signed an executive order to provide legal protections to people coming to Minnesota seeking an abortion.

North Dakota's one and only abortion clinic is planning to leave the state and move across the river into Minnesota.

Target did not immediately respond to Patch's request for comment.

Reporting from the Associated Press was used in this story.