Game companies pledge to help workers as abortion becomes illegal in many states
On Friday, the United States Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade in a 6-3 vote that took away the constitutional right to choose to have an abortion. The United States had protected Americans’ rights to abortion for half a century; the landmark ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization undoes decades’ worth of progress and introduces the possibility that other established rights could be overturned, like the right to same-sex marriage and contraception.
States are now individually left to decide whether abortion is legal, and in response to the Supreme Court decision, nine states have already banned the procedure. Twelve more states are likely to ban or severely restrict access to abortion care, according to the New York Times. People seeking abortion in these states will be forced to travel out-of-state to receive healthcare, and if they’re unable to travel, they’ll have no other recourse.
As The Verge reported in May, banning abortion in dozens of states will tie healthcare even more firmly to employers and workplaces. Now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned, many companies have released statements declaring their intent to support employees who need to travel to get this procedure. Video game studios are joining companies across industries by adding abortion coverage and medical travel benefits to healthcare packages. Workers living in impacted areas who work at these companies will be able to request funding to receive essential care, but this gives employers exceptional power. Without a country-wide right to healthcare, companies have to step in, thereby highlighting inequalities throughout the healthcare system.
Destiny2 developer Bungie was one of the first studios to make a statement on the Supreme
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