I try to go to Walmart as little as little as humanly possible, and whenever I go there I try to get in and out as quick as I can. The place as a whole can just make a person feel dirty.
In a memo to its employees on Friday, Walmart stated that it would cover abortions in situations where the mother’s health was at risk, there had been rape or incest, an ectopic pregnancy, a miscarriage, or there was no viable fetus.
According to a memo, the new policy would reimburse some travel costs for employees who must go outside of their state for abortions. By January 2023, Walmart will also open a new Center for Excellence that will offer services for in vitro fertilization, intrauterine insemination, and egg cryopreservation.
However, the prior version of the company’s benefits plans only covered abortion when “the health of the mother would be in jeopardy if the fetus were carried to term, the fetus could not survive the birthing process, or death would be imminent after birth,” in a report by Axios.
“Given how recent events are resulting in state-by-state healthcare environments, we will expand our travel coverage,” the memo states.
The retailer’s chief people officer, Donna Morris, explained in a memo to staff that the new regulation will also provide “travel support” for staff members seeking abortions covered by its health insurance plans — as well as their dependents — so they can access services that are not offered within 100 miles of their locations.
The action appeared to be a reaction to the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Center, which held that the constitution did not contain a right to an abortion.
A number of businesses, including Meta, American Express, and Bank of America, have also declared they will pay for the travel expenses of their employees, including elective abortions. The company memo also opens a facility where workers can receive fertility treatments including in vitro fertilization.
It also promised to boost its financial aid for adoptions from $5,000 to $20,000 and add surrogacy support. To address racial inequities in maternal care, Walmart said in June that it will double the number of doulas it offers to women. Doulas are caregivers for pregnant women.
However, “It is upsetting to see Walmart follow the lead of the rest of corporate America by endorsing and sponsoring a surgery that takes a human life,” according to a Walmart employee who spoke anonymously to The Daily Wire.
The employee, who wished to remain anonymous in order to protect their employment status, stated that “Walmart is a family company patronized by millions of Americans who don’t want their go-to retailer taking a position on abortion, Walmart says they reflect the communities they serve. If that’s true, they should not take a stance on such a divisive issue.”
Sources: Dailywire, Wsj, Washingtonpost