2023 DMEC FMLA/ADA Employer Compliance Conference: The Dobbs Decision - What it Means for Employers

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization reversed 50 years of precedence, and questions are pouring in about what it means at the practical level. Now employers face a multitude of health benefits issues that are — or are not! — impacted by the decision. Is an abortion or the necessary time off protected by the FMLA, the ADA, or similar state laws? Can an employer provide benefits coverage, or deny such coverage, for the travel time associated with the procedure? What options does an employer have for providing or denying coverage under group health plans, flexible spending accounts, health reimbursement accounts, and other programs? And how do these issues under Dobbs compare to other women’s healthcare and benefits issues, such as coverage for other reproductive rights or cancer? In this session, we’ll share the issues employers must be aware of to understand the possible impact of the Dobbs opinion, and we will explore how employers can be thoughtful about their healthcare benefits packages overall, aware of the impact of decisions on their benefits plans, and how to avoid unintended consequences by being proactive.