JPMorgan will cover U.S. staff travel costs for out-of-state abortions -memo

America's largest bank, JPMorgan Chase & Co, will cover expenses for U.S.-based employees who need to travel more than 50 miles (80 km) to get a medical service, including "legal abortions," according to a staff memo the bank sent earlier this month and seen by Reuters on Friday.

America's largest bank, JPMorgan Chase & Co, will cover expenses for U.S.-based employees who need to travel more than 50 miles (80 km) to get a medical service, including "legal abortions," according to a staff memo the bank sent earlier this month and seen by Reuters on Friday. The memo, dated June 1, was first reported by CNBC minutes after the U.S. Supreme Court took the dramatic step of overturning the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that recognized a woman's constitutional right to an abortion.

"We're focused on the health and well-being of our employees, and want to ensure equitable access to all benefits," said a bank spokeswoman on Friday. JPMorgan is one of a small but growing number of big companies, including Citigroup, Amazon.com and Tesla Inc, that have rolled out policies to ensure staff have access to abortion services, in anticipation of Friday's ruling. The Walt Disney Co made a similar announcement on Friday.

By erasing abortion as a constitutional right, the ruling restores the ability of states to pass laws prohibiting it. Twenty-six states are seen as either certain or likely now to ban abortion. Citi was the first major U.S. bank in March to disclose it would cover travel expenses for employees who go out of state for abortions following severe new restrictions in Texas and other states. A spokeswoman for the bank declined to comment on Friday.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc is reviewing its policies for abortion benefits, according to a person familiar with the bank's thinking. Goldman Sachs, along with Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo, the country's other major lenders, did not respond to requests for comment, while AIG, the country's largest insurer, declined to comment.

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