Does your insurance reimburse breast pumps?

[krystee]

I heard most do, but mine doesn't. I am having a hard time with spending $400 on a breast pump when my nursing goal is just the 12 weeks of mat leave and then I will reevaluate (my job is not conducive to pumping and while I know I could make it work if I had to, I'm not positive I want to). Should I wait to see if I need one? Maybe rent a hospital one for three months and then buy one if I stick with it?

[whiskeyandwine]

Hmm. Try your insurance again. This is a pretty standard ACA thing.

[christy082]

Mine does- I got the Medela PISA. Unless your plan is grandfathered, one should be covered at 100%, though it may only be a manual.

If it definitely doesn't cover one, I'd wait and see before buying one. Or maybe, buy a manual one?

[noodleoo]

Ours definitely covers some kind of a pump, but I need to get the details on which one. I deifnitely wouldn't spend $400 on a pump for 12 weeks. That seems really high, even the fully auto ones I looked at were in the $200 range. I would look into renting one if you only plan on 12 weeks, doesn't seem worth it to buy one unless the rental price is really high (haven't researched that yet either).

[smiledamnit]

Yep - mine does under the ACA. Have to buy it directly from a list of manufacturers they provided, and then it's billed directly to the insurance co.

[imimahoney]

Mine sort of does. I get a manual for free but in order to get a double electric for free I have to hit my cap, which I will meet with delivery but it's still annoying.

3 years ago I had zero problems getting a free on, I just had to supple an rx saying I needed one for a medical reason. I'm thinking of just calling to see if they accept that so I can get one for free.

[kams]

Maybe check through Byram healthcare - they handled everything with my insurance, and I know many others have had a great experience with them. Mine covered a Medela PISA.

[estrellita]

I agree to check again. They may only cover a manual pump, but at least that would be something, especially if you don't plan to use it too often. Mine covers some good ones (I got one of the Medela ones people mention) so I was happy about that, but insurance companies are just required to cover some type of pump (unless the plan is grandfathered in, which would suck).

[sparkythelawyer]

Thanks to Obamacare, I got mine free. Call your insurance company. Even if you are on a grandfathered plan you should be covered now.

[Deleted]

Under Obamacare, they legally have to provide SOMETHING (there are very few exceptions). I'd call the insurance company and ask directly. Mine covered a PISA without the bag etc, or $200 of another pump. I got a Freestyle with all the accessories for a little over $100 out of pocket.

[kate1482]

Mine did and I wasn't very hopeful since I have a grandfathered plan. Maybe call again just to triple check? Mine wasn't super helpful and just provided a list of medical supply companies that were in network. I filled out a quick form for sun medical and they took care of contacting my insurance etc. super easy and my Medela PISA show up a week later.

Im not sure how much rentals are where you live but at my hospital & local maternity shop it is $70 a month for a medela symphony. (Plus $50ish for your own set of pump parts).

Oh I forgot you can use your FSA card to pay for the pump if you want to go that route.

[krystee]

I contacted them through email, so I will do it by phone next time and reference the ACA. Thank you for the tip!

[Velar Fricative]

Only a manual pump with a doctor's prescription. Hasn't changed since 2013 (I checked to see if maybe things changed for this year, but no).

[nextbigthing]

Jan 28, 2015 11:31:11 GMT -5 kams said:

Maybe check through Byram healthcare - they handled everything with my insurance, and I know many others have had a great experience with them. Mine covered a Medela PISA.

This is how I did mine. I have united health care. Did it all online.

We'll see, I'm like you OP, my job is highly unconducive to pumping but I'm going to give BF my best shot

[Poppy]

Agreed that I'd be surprised if your insurance doesn't cover one. You may be asking the wrong question. Rather than reimbursing, you may need to go through a DME and have them bill the insurance co.


If you don't get one covered by insurance and you're not planning on pumping at work, I'd recommend just getting a manual (<$50) and then if you change your mind, you can look into options for buying or renting a double electric when you go back.

[CajunShrimp]

I just ordered mine today. My doctor wrote up a prescription for "One electric breast pump", I went to the Blue Cross Blue Shield web site, chose a Medela PISA, filled out some info, and it will be here for free in 7-10 business days.

[bk1]

Mine would only cover a manual or $25 towards a pump (something like that, can't remember exact dollar amount). 

[emoflamingo]

I called mine and they said they did not. However, it's not really too big of an issue for me because I had a breast reduction and was not able to successfully BF before surgery, so I'm not entirely sure I can BF now. Surgeon said that most who were successful before could after using his technique, but I had latch issues that then caused supply issues that caused me to quit fairly early (I had to go buy a pump after I was released so there was a few wasted days in there).

ETA: I called again (because I wanted to know why) and my policy was grandfathered and our group decided not to have them covered. 

[cheeseandcrackers]

Mine does cover a pump.
Can you rent a hospital grade one since you are using it for a limited time?

[MrsAggie]

If your insurance won't cover electric, the swing pump is a much more affordable option at $140.

www.amazon.com/Medela-030-0052-Swing-Breastpump/dp/B000LPZTQY

[sillygoosegirl]

I feel like breastfeeding is often treated as all or nothing, and I applaud your choice to do it for at least 12 weeks even if you don't continue longer than that. But let me suggest how you might be able to make it work in your busy life for longer. I think you should consider this because by 12 weeks, you will have done most of the hard work and endured most of the pain involved in breastfeeding, so you may as well enjoy the convenience and financial benefits of doing it for longer.

Consider that while pumping at work is kind of a pain compared to formula feeding, formula feeding at home (and especially out and about) during evenings, nights, and weekends is a pain compared to breastfeeding. No personal experience, but supposedly pumping even just once during the work day makes a huge difference in keeping supply up for breastfeeding during non-work hours.

Obviously I don't know the specifics of your work situation, but if you were to keep breastfeeding and pump at work, I'd think you would easily make back the cost of the pump in formula you don't have to buy in just a few months. Even if you can only pump once at lunch (and nurse at home) and supplement with some formula during the day, I would expect the pump to pay for itself quickly. It took me a little while to get the hang of pumping, but at this point one pumping session only takes 15-20 minutes out of my day, and I think it will get even a little faster with more practice. Some women also pump in the car on the way to and from work, to further save time. If you have access to a refrigerator, you can keep your pump parts in a clean container for a day (or even multiple) in the refrigerator instead of cleaning them every time. If you don't have a refrigerator, you can keep them in a clean container in a cooler during the day.

This is the pump I have. It's a good one and if my insurance hadn't covered it, I could have gotten it for $230 at Target.
www.target.com/p/medela-pump-in-style-advanced-breast-pump-on-the-go-tote/-/A-10762141

You may need to spend extra on correctly-sized flanges, but you don't need to waste money on a hands-free bra to pump hands-free: kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/pumping/hands-free-pumping/

[meltoine]

My insurance doesn't, though hopefully that's changing this year.

My aunt is a peds nurse and an IBCLC, and she gave me one for my shower. Maybe put it on your registry and someone (or a groups of someones) will buy it.

[5oclocksomewhere]

Mine does, at 100% thankfully.

[sassafrass]

How far in advance do you have to order these? I know my insurance covers one that i can order online. Will i need a prescription?

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