IU-sponsored insurance will cover abortion travel expenses up to $2,000 beginning in 2023, according to a statement from IU Bloomington Staff Council President Alison Sinadinos.
The offer includes a travel benefit of up to $2000 annually for medical procedures not available within 100 miles of the person’s home, according to the statement. Staff with Health Savings Accounts can also use those funds to cover flights, mileage and hotel expenses.
Related: [Resources for Indiana residents following state abortion ban, Roe v. Wade overturn]
IU-sponsored insurance will continue to cover contraceptives, including Plan B, as well as abortions. It does not matter if the abortion is a medical or elective procedure, according to the statement.
“It allows greater flexibility for our employees to seek any covered medical care they can’t find locally,” IU spokesperson Chuck Carney said.
The announcement comes as Indiana’s abortion ban is currently being challenged in Indiana court. The ban outlawed abortion unless the pregnant person’s health is at risk, if there is a fatal fetal abnormality, or in cases of rape or incest up to 10 weeks post-fertilization. The ban originally went into effect on Sept. 15.
Related: [Indiana court temporarily blocks Indiana abortion ban]
On Sept. 22, Special Judge Kelsey B. Hanlon ruled that abortions can resume in Indiana while litigation continues, at least temporarily restoring the right to abortion.
