LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville-based Brown-Forman Corp. reminded its thousands of employees Monday that the company’s health care plan includes coverage for abortion and that company benefits include help with travel expenses if needed to obtain medical procedures including abortion.
"We believe healthcare decisions are private and best made with the support of your care providers," the company said in a message to employees.
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s June 24 decision revoking a constitutional right to abortion, some large corporations including Walt Disney, J.P. Morgan Chase and Dick’s Sporting Goods said they would pay for employees to travel to states where the procedure is legal.
Such benefits would likely apply to employees based in Kentucky, where abortion was outlawed as soon as the Supreme Court issued its opinion thanks to a "trigger" ban passed in 2019. Attorney General Daniel Cameron said Friday that abortion is "for all intents and purposes over" in the state, except in cases to save the mother’s life or avert grave bodily harm.
In Indiana, restricting abortion will be on the table when the legislature convenes a special session next week.
Among big employers in the Louisville-southern Indiana area, Brown-Forman is the exception. WDRB News this week asked the top 10 employers in the area as of 2020 — a mix of companies, governmental units and nonprofit health care providers — as well as the five biggest publicly traded companies headquartered in Louisville about their employment policies related to abortion.
Only a handful of organizations responded.
Humana Inc., Louisville’s biggest corporate headquarters, said in a statement that its employees have access "to reproductive care coverage and services" while the company assesses the impact of the court ruling.
"We respect that our employees and members hold different views regarding the Supreme Court ruling on Roe v. Wade," Humana said. "While there are many questions left to be answered, we are focused on supporting the health of our employees, members, and others, and we will continue to assess the implications of the ruling where we operate."
Louisville’s other top public companies — Yum! Brands, Texas Roadhouse and Papa John’s International — did not respond to inquiries this week.
Atlanta-based shipping giant UPS, which has its global air hub in Louisville, is the area’s biggest employer with more than 25,000 employees as of 2020, according to a list from Greater Louisville Inc., the metro chamber of commerce. UPS did not respond to requests for comment.
Greater Louisville Inc., the voice of local employers, steered clear of weighing in on how companies should handle the issue.
"As a non-partisan and business-focused organization, GLI does not take positions or comment on judicial proceedings or questions of constitutionality," spokeswoman Olivia Sievert said. "However, we continue to encourage employers to enact policies that best meet the needs of their workforce."
Publicly traded firms face increasing calls from employees and shareholders to take stances on reproductive issues.
"The winds are definitely shifting," said Shelley Alpern, director of corporate engagement at Rhia Ventures, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that works with investors to push companies to adopt expansive reproductive healthcare policies. The group also maintains a database tracking corporate responses to abortion bans.
Alpern’s group was involved in an investor proposal earlier this year that would have directed Walmart to research any risks and costs to the company from "state policies severely restricting reproductive rights." But the proposal, which was opposed by the company and founding family shareholders, was overwhelmingly defeated earlier this month.
Walmart, which is also one of the largest employers in Louisville, did not respond to a request for comment.
Among other large employers in the Louisville area, the Baptist Health System said only "therapeutic abortion, to save the life of the mother," is covered under its employee plan. University of Louisville Health drew a similar distinction, saying its benefit package "does not cover any elective procedures or travel expenses."
"We will continue to monitor and review the impact of the Supreme Court decision," said UofL Health spokesman David McArthur.
At Norton Healthcare, "It has not been a past practice ... to provide travel expenses to employees seeking elective medical procedures," spokeswoman Renee Murphy said.
Norton covers termination of a pregnancy "in the event of a life-threatening medical emergency for the mother," she added.
The University of Louisville, meanwhile, is "not offering the travel benefit that some companies are providing," but covers therapeutic abortion as well as elective abortion in cases of "rape, incest, or when determined by the member's physician to be medically appropriate," according to spokesman John Karman.
Jefferson County Public Schools also does not provide a travel benefit, while its health coverage is dictated by the Kentucky Employees’ Health Plan, according to spokeswoman Carolyn Callahan.
Other major employers who did not respond to WDRB’s requests include Ford Motor Co. and Kroger.
