When I was about 6 months pregnant, I read an article on breastfeeding and learned that under the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies are required to cover some of the costs of breast pumps and breastfeeding supplies and support (lactation consultants). I don't have that particular article but here are two that explain the benefit.
Breast Pumps Now Covered By Insurance
More On Free Breast Pumps And The Affordable Care Act
After I read the article about the ACA, I called the customer service number for our insurance carrier and asked what the process was for obtaining a breast pump (or a discount on a pump) through our policy.
Under our plan, I had a couple of options...
I could purchase a pump from a retailer (e.g. Target, Babies R Us, etc.), and submit the receipt with a claim form to the insurance company. This process would be treated as an "out-of-network" service. Under our plan, out-of-network costs are covered at 60%, so I would be responsible for 40% of the cost of the pump and the insurance company would cover the remaining 60%.
-OR-
I could obtain a pump from a pre-approved, in-network provider. Who are these, you ask? (I did too). The nice man from the insurance company explained that these are healthcare supply companies who sell things like prosthetic devices, walkers, wheelchairs, etc. for home use. If I elected to do this, the healthcare supply company would submit the claim for me and the cost would be covered 100%.
*There was also an option to rent a breast pump from a hospital or healthcare supply company but I knew that I wanted to own my pump so I did not inquire further about this process.
I assumed that if I went with option #2, I'd probably be getting a crappy, manual breast pump by some no-name company and not the Medela double electric pump that I had my eye on.
I was wrong.
The nice insurance man emailed me a list of our insurance company's approved healthcare supply companies. There were at least 50 on the list but not all of them sold breast pumps. So, I started making calls and visiting websites. I quickly found out that some of these companies sold the non-retail version of the pump that I wanted. By non-retail version I mean it didn't come with the discreet black travel bag or some of the extra accessories, but the "guts" of the pump were the same.
The first few companies I called weren't able to ship the pump to me until I was within 30-60 days of my due date or until after the baby was born. I continued to make my way down the list until I found one who either didn't have this rule or didn't know that they needed to abide by it.
I gave them my insurance information, my doctor's information, and my due date. Once they verified my insurance information and called my doctor to confirm that I was actually pregnant, they shipped the pump to me. It arrived in about 2 weeks.
It came with everything pictured except for the 2oz storage bottles (I don't know why I included them in the picture, #babybrainisreal). It did, however, come with 4 of the 5oz bottles pictured below, along with two ice packs for the cooler compartment (not pictured).
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| Motor and controls |
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| Storage and cooler compartments |
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| Adapters, storage bags and 5oz bottles |
So, that's how I got my free breast pump. If you are a mom-to-be or a relatively new mom (I believe you can get a free/discounted breast pump within the first 12 months of your baby's life, but don't quote me on that), and are interested in getting a free or discounted breast pump, here are some things you'll want to do or consider:
~ Get a Summary Of Benefits form from your insurance company. If you have benefits through your employer, your HR department should have these on hand or should be able to direct you to this information online. This form will tell you to what extent out-of-network expenses are covered, if at all.
~ Call your insurance company's customer service number and ask what the process is for obtaining a breast pump and supplies through the Affordable Care Act. They should be able to tell you what your options are for either purchasing or renting a pump.
~ If you think you might be interested in renting a pump, contact your OB/GYN or the hospital where you plan to deliver to find out if they have pumps available for rent and what the associated costs are.
~ If you don't want to rent and don't want to go through a pre-approved healthcare supplier, you may want to look into consignment shops. If your out-of-network costs are fully covered, you could get the retail version of a used pump with the nice bag and extra accessories for free. Keep in mind, if you do buy a used pump, you must purchase new, clean parts (valves, membranes, connectors and breastshields). Any parts that come in contact with the milk cannot be re-sold once used. If someone tries to sell you a pump with used parts, DO.NOT.BUY.IT!
Here are some additional links to check out:
Breastfeeding Insurance & Reimbursement
What Are My Breastfeeding Benefits?
How To Get Your Breast Pump Covered By Insurance
A little bit about breastfeeding and my experience so far ...
If you are a mom or mom-to-be who is even thinking about the possibility of breastfeeding, I encourage you to try it for at least 3 weeks before deciding to switch to formula. We are just past the 3 week mark and I can honestly say that it has gotten significantly easier, less painful and that I actually enjoy this time with my son. There were many nights (and days) that I spent sobbing as I fed Jamie because he wouldn't latch, it hurt, I was tired... or all three. But I am so glad that I stuck with it and hope to do so for the first year of his life.
If you aren't able to physically nurse, use the information in this post to get yourself a breast pump and bottle feed your baby expressed milk. He/She will still get the benefits and you will get some relief from any discomfort and the constraints of feeding on-demand.
We recently tested the bottle out and, thankfully, J-man took it. I've replaced two feedings a day with a bottle of expressed milk which gives Colin a chance to help out a little. I do still need to pump during this time to keep my supply up, so I'm either feeding or pumping every 3 hours. Non-mommy friends don't seem to get this and think that I can just jet out of the house whenever I want because I can "just have Colin give him a bottle!" Um, doesn't work this way, kids. Regardless, I'm glad that he took the bottle so quickly. I've heard stories about babies who refuse the bottle completely which makes returning to work or getting any break from baby until they self-wean nearly impossible. Moral of the story: whether you nurse, pump or a combination of both, it's a huge commitment but so is motherhood and the benefits for your baby are so great that it's at least worth a try.
~ Questions about getting a pump through your insurance company? Need some words of encouragement about breastfeeding? Email me! mbatomommy(at)gmail(dot) com ~
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