Booo on my insurance

[degal99]

My employer has chosen not to cover breast pumps as a benefit, and since my insurance was grandfathered in, they don't fall under the requirements of the ACA to cover them.  

[VillainV]

Mine only covers a single manual pump. Womp womp But it's military healthcare, so there's no deductible (no flex account either), so I don't mind shelling out a few hundred bucks for the pump of my choice since everything else is completely covered. I would be pissed if I had a several thousand dollar deductible and still had to shell out for a breast pump….

[degal99]

Nov 22, 2013 11:21:12 GMT -5 @callmefia said:

Me toooo.

It sucks. I put a ton of $$ in my flex spend account, you can use that to pay for one.

Unfortunately I don't qualify for an FSA because I have the highest tier insurance.  I'm more annoyed at my employer than anything!  They're focused on public health.  This should be an easy benefit for them to pay for!   (idea)

[degal99]

Nov 22, 2013 11:56:05 GMT -5 jjwritergirl said:

Where would I find out this information for my plan? Do I ask the doctor, or call my insurance directly?

Call your insurance directly.  If they cover one, they can tell you how, when, and where you can get it from.  Every insurance is different in those regards.

[bazinga]

My insurance only covers the manual one too.
The rest of the coverage is pretty good though, so I won't complain about it too much.

[Jalapeñomel]

Call your hospital to see if they rent them. It's usually cheaper than buying one.

[speyedr]

When I looked online at my benefits I only saw that my insurance covers a manual pump. I sent an email to customer service and they got back to me saying that they also cover an electric up to $299 or the rental of a hospital grade. This is something I would have never known and would have settled with a manual and probably ended up buying an electric had I not sent the email to them. Make sure you contact your insurance directly to verify what they cover instead of just relying on what you read online in your benefits info!

[mellimel19]

Nov 22, 2013 13:40:25 GMT -5 sameoldash said:

Nov 22, 2013 11:56:05 GMT -5 jjwritergirl said:

Where would I find out this information for my plan? Do I ask the doctor, or call my insurance directly?

call your insurance directly. also, you should do so soon because a lot of insurance companies have incentive programs that get you free money. mine just sent me a $200 AMEX GC to talk to/email this lady 5x (we just emailed and she sent me a lot of useful info), but had i known about the program and signed up while i was still in first tri, i could've gotten a LOT more money.

Can you explain a little more about this? Did you just call them to ask about what they cover for breast pumps and they told you if you call the company you can purchase them through that you get a gift card? I called my insurance company (I currently have United HealthCare) to get info on breast pumps and they provided me with the distributors that were covered under my plan, but made no mention of an incentive program.

[browneyedgirl9]

Mine only covers a manual one too Booo!

[chickadee77]

Nov 22, 2013 13:40:25 GMT -5 sameoldash said:

Nov 22, 2013 11:56:05 GMT -5 jjwritergirl said:

Where would I find out this information for my plan? Do I ask the doctor, or call my insurance directly?

call your insurance directly. also, you should do so soon because a lot of insurance companies have incentive programs that get you free money. mine just sent me a $200 AMEX GC to talk to/email this lady 5x (we just emailed and she sent me a lot of useful info), but had i known about the program and signed up while i was still in first tri, i could've gotten a LOT more money.

I'm curious to hear more about this, too. What's the catch? lol

[runblondie26]

Nov 22, 2013 13:40:25 GMT -5 sameoldash said:

Nov 22, 2013 11:56:05 GMT -5 jjwritergirl said:

Where would I find out this information for my plan? Do I ask the doctor, or call my insurance directly?

call your insurance directly. also, you should do so soon because a lot of insurance companies have incentive programs that get you free money. mine just sent me a $200 AMEX GC to talk to/email this lady 5x (we just emailed and she sent me a lot of useful info), but had i known about the program and signed up while i was still in first tri, i could've gotten a LOT more money.

Same with my insurance plan. You speak with a nurse and go over some survey questions a few times during the pregnancy, then do one final post partum review. I guess they want to ensure you're getting prenatal care, and potenially identify high risk pregnancies or behaviors, in order to save them money in the long run. We get the money as an actual check.

[sookie]

Nov 22, 2013 11:47:35 GMT -5 VillainV said:

Mine only covers a single manual pump. Womp womp But it's military healthcare, so there's no deductible (no flex account either), so I don't mind shelling out a few hundred bucks for the pump of my choice since everything else is completely covered. I would be pissed if I had a several thousand dollar deductible and still had to shell out for a breast pump….

You got Tricare to cover a pump?

[vmars]

I have Horizon and they cover double electric breast pumps. I called a medical supply store that took my insurance, ordered the pump, and it was there the very next day.

[D2M]

Nov 22, 2013 17:31:35 GMT -5 sameoldash said:

Nov 22, 2013 14:21:48 GMT -5 mellimel19 said:

Can you explain a little more about this? Did you just call them to ask about what they cover for breast pumps and they told you if you call the company you can purchase them through that you get a gift card? I called my insurance company (I currently have United HealthCare) to get info on breast pumps and they provided me with the distributors that were covered under my plan, but made no mention of an incentive program.

i have Cigna, and i had done some googling beforehand and heard about their Healthy Babies program. when I called to ask about the pump, they didn't say much about the program, but i did inquire about it. they said they were sending me the info and gave me some other number and that was that. i happened to call the other number (which was basically the healthy babies program associated with H's job, so not REALLY on my insurance's side, but still through them, if that makes sense..) and they gave me all the applicable info. just ask about an incentive program and they should know at least how to direct your call.

for me, there was no catch. they said i had to have 5 phone calls or watch 5 live webinars, and i signed up for the webinars and KEPT forgetting to call in, so i was worried i wouldn't qualify. but i actually liked the lady they set me up with, and after our initial call, we emailed back and forth several times where she answered various questions of mine (some i already knew the answers to, but whatever lol) and that seemed to qualify.

now i have $200 burning a hole in my pocket and i'm under strict orders by H to spend it on ME and not the house or the baby. what to do what to DO!?! lol.

Thank you for this info! I have Aetna and I just googled to see if they have a similar program. FYI for those of you with Aetna, it's called "Beginning Right." If you sign up by 16 weeks, you get a small gift (no details in this, but hey, I'll take it!). I am definitely going to sign up.

[speyedr]

I have BCBS and they have a special beginnings program. If you enroll before 12 weeks you get a free car seat. We got a free convertible car seat thru them.

[speyedr]

Nov 22, 2013 20:13:52 GMT -5 sameoldash said:

Nov 22, 2013 19:31:48 GMT -5 speyedr said:

I have BCBS and they have a special beginnings program. If you enroll before 12 weeks you get a free car seat. We got a free convertible car seat thru them.

!!!

Now THIS I am jealous of. This is awesome!

It is a pretty awesome deal. After looking up the carseat they sent, it retails for like $70. I know there are better seats out there but I'm not going to complain, $70 is $70 and I didn't have to pay for it! We really weren't sure what we would get actually, they don't tell you up front what kind of seat they send out so it was a surprise when it arrived. 

[earlgreyhot]

Nov 22, 2013 19:31:48 GMT -5 speyedr said:

I have BCBS and they have a special beginnings program. If you enroll before 12 weeks you get a free car seat. We got a free convertible car seat thru them.

This is very good info!! Wow. 

[Deleted]

Nov 22, 2013 17:44:03 GMT -5 vmars said:

I have Horizon and they cover double electric breast pumps. I called a medical supply store that took my insurance, ordered the pump, and it was there the very next day.

That's bc NJ has stricter mandates for maternity coverage than the federal laws.

[VillainV]

Nov 22, 2013 16:56:14 GMT -5 sookie said:

Nov 22, 2013 11:47:35 GMT -5 VillainV said:

Mine only covers a single manual pump. Womp womp But it's military healthcare, so there's no deductible (no flex account either), so I don't mind shelling out a few hundred bucks for the pump of my choice since everything else is completely covered. I would be pissed if I had a several thousand dollar deductible and still had to shell out for a breast pump….

You got Tricare to cover a pump?

Not yet, but the LC told us they would….but I just checked on Tricare.mil and it says they don't.  I thought it was mandatory with ACA?   

[sookie]

Nov 23, 2013 1:42:41 GMT -5 VillainV said:

Nov 22, 2013 16:56:14 GMT -5 sookie said:

You got Tricare to cover a pump?

Not yet, but the LC told us they would….but I just checked on Tricare.mil and it says they don't.  I thought it was mandatory with ACA?   

Tricare is a benefit and not an insurance plan so they're exempt. When I called them I was denied, and I've never hard of anyone approved other than if your baby is a premie and in NICU for a while, and then it's the manual.

[mellimel19]

Thanks luckydog! My state wasn't in the dropdown menu either. I will try calling to see if I can enter the program. I know they do have a Healthy Pregnancy Program, and upon enrolling (and my benefits dept verifying that I had enrolled), my company sent me a gift basket with a $100 Babies R' Us gift card, along with some samples of wipes, some burp clothes, a bottle and a cute rattle. So you may also want to check with your company's benefits department to see if they offer anything similar. (I'm not sure if the gift card came through UHC and just distributed by my company, or if my company purchases them for employees.)

[speyedr]

Nov 23, 2013 11:07:27 GMT -5 jjwritergirl said:

Nov 22, 2013 19:31:48 GMT -5 speyedr said:

I have BCBS and they have a special beginnings program. If you enroll before 12 weeks you get a free car seat. We got a free convertible car seat thru them.

Wow! I have BCBS! I am going to look into this right now. A free car seat sounds awesome. 

ETA: speyedr did you do their program recently? I called and can't talk to a real person until monday, but all the info they have online just says you get a $50 gift card and have to talk to a nurse twice a month on the phone. Was your experience different?

I called and talked with someone who I assume works in customer service. I had to answer a ton of questions to enroll. The only other thing that the lady I talked to said I had to do was answer another questionnaire somewhere between 25-30 weeks over the phone. They sent me the Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy book and then just recently I received the car seat. I'm sure different plans have different perks to joining a program like this unfortunately. 

[sent]

I have BC/BS as well. It is worse than pulling teeth to get my husband to find out more info on the benefits from his HR. I work for myself and have zero benefits except collecting points on my CC when I buy something. He doesn't seem to appreciate that he has an entire HR department at his disposal who are paid to do things like give him info on his benefits!

It's too late for the car seat for me, if my version of BC/BS has that.  But I need to find out about the pump.  

I have an online account for the insurance and never really find any useful info on there. Adding to my list to call them this week.

[D2M]

Nov 24, 2013 12:08:49 GMT -5 sent said:

I have BC/BS as well. It is worse than pulling teeth to get my husband to find out more info on the benefits from his HR. I work for myself and have zero benefits except collecting points on my CC when I buy something. He doesn't seem to appreciate that he has an entire HR department at his disposal who are paid to do things like give him info on his benefits!

It's too late for the car seat for me, if my version of BC/BS has that.  But I need to find out about the pump.  

I have an online account for the insurance and never really find any useful info on there. Adding to my list to call them this week.

I wouldn't even think of calling my HR department for nitty gritty insurance details. When I have questions, I just call the number on the back of my card. Hope the process is just as painless for you.

[sent]

Nov 24, 2013 16:18:32 GMT -5 D2M said:

I wouldn't even think of calling my HR department for nitty gritty insurance details. When I have questions, I just call the number on the back of my card. Hope the process is just as painless for you.

Not just insurance, but they are the people to ask about a HSA, Dependent care accounts, paternity leave, etc.  I had to repeatedly ask him to find out about these benefits.  What does he do?  Says to me one night "Open enrollment ends tomorrow."   :?

I am so calling tomorrow.  

[Deleted]

I am jealous of all the free stuff you guys are getting. I enrolled in UHC's baby program and all I got was a paperback book about pregnancy and 24/7 access to a nurses hotline. I've already called them twice about paranoid stuff but still....whomp whomp whomp

[browneyedgirl9]

Babies R us was having a sale. The Maedla Pump in Style Advances was only $200.

[sporklemotion]

It never occurred to me to look for an incentives program-- what a cool idea! My state has pretty good maternity coverage (thanks, Romneycare! Lol). They are delivering my pump right to my hospital room tomorrow. They told us not to order it ahead of time.

[BaliHai]

Nov 22, 2013 20:26:25 GMT -5 luckydog said:

Nov 22, 2013 13:40:25 GMT -5 sameoldash said:

call your insurance directly. also, you should do so soon because a lot of insurance companies have incentive programs that get you free money. mine just sent me a $200 AMEX GC to talk to/email this lady 5x (we just emailed and she sent me a lot of useful info), but had i known about the program and signed up while i was still in first tri, i could've gotten a LOT more money.

This is good info! Thanks!

I googled United Healthcare's and it is called Baby Blocks. But my state wasn't in the dropdown online so I will have to try to call!

Thank you for this! I work for them and didn't even know about it, ha, but I was still able to register and am getting an ON gift card for signing up. Pretty sweet!