Getting Your Breast Pump Through Insurance

By Glenni Lorick, IBCLC
It has been over two years since mothers have been able to get their breast pumps through their insurance providers. We still come across some situations where a mother is unable to get her pump through insurance, but more and more mothers are having success. Some insurance providers just do the bare minimum and provide a manual breast pump; however, many providers are giving mothers top notch double electric pumps by recognized manufacturers like Medela and Ameda.

Blue Cross Blue Shield

Medela pumps are available many places!

Most state plans do provide coverage for breast pumps; nevertheless it is dependent upon the individual plan. For more information on getting your BCBS pump, check out the information here. You should be able to get your Ameda or Medela pump through BCBS 30 days prior to your due date. 

Federal Blue Cross Blue Shield is a little different. They will provide you a breast pump, but you have to call CVS Caremark at 1-800-262-7890 to get your pump. They will provide you an Ameda double electric pump. They will also provide 150 Ameda bags every 90 days.

Cigna

Recently Huntsville Hospital, one of the area's largest employers, switched to Cigna. They will reimburse the cost of a dual electric breast pump or pay $400 towards the cost of renting a hospital grade pump. Parents may purchase their pump and submit for reimbursement.

The Ameda Purely Yours is also a great pump. 

Tri-Care

It has been an ongoing frustration that military families are not given the same access to free breast pumps as their civilian counterparts. However, a measure included in the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is changing that!  They are now mandated to provide a breast pump of some kind to nursing mothers. We don't know yet what they will provide, and the information on their webpage still says they don't provide it. However, we expect that to be updated in the near future!

Other Providers

There are two key on-line providers who will work with every major insurance provider to help you get a pump. So if you have Aetna, United Healthcare, or any other insurance, be sure to check with either  Aeroflow or Edgepark. They will work with you to make sure you get what you are entitled to!

If you have an experience that would help our moms in this quest, please leave it in the comments! 

BCBS Insurance? You May Be Able to Get a FREE Pump!

A lot has happened since our February post about insurance and breastpumps!  We have a couple of local Durable Medical Equipment providers who will work with your insurance to help you receive the pump you're entitled to! Although every insurance plan is different, if you have Alabama Blue Cross Blue Shield, you should be able to receive a Medela Pump in Style, a Bailey Nurture III or an Ameda Purely Yours.

Which Pump Do I Want?

The Medela Pump in Style provided by insurance

All three pumps are high quality pumps. The Medela Pump in Style is a very popular single-user pump. One advantage for local mothers is that North Alabama hospitals use Medela products. I encourage every mother who gives birth to ask for her breast pump rental kit because it will provide you a spare set of parts for your Pump in Style. Furthermore, many mothers do find that renting a hospital-grade pump for the first week or even month can be very helpful in helping to deal with engorgement or for establishing a supply if baby isn't nursing well. The Pump in Style is a completely automatic double electric breast pump, making it easy to pump hands-free and do other things like read or type as you are pumping. 

The Bailey Nurture III Pump

The Bailey Nurture III is also a very reputable, reliable breast pump. The technology behind the Nurture III is a bit different, however. The suction is controlled by a dial, but the rate is controlled by the mother using the pump via a simple up and down motion of her finger which releases the pressure. The advantage to this system is that the mother can vary the speed as she sees fit. The disadvantage, however, is that she must be fully engaged with the pumping and does not have both hands free (she does have one hand free).

The Ameda Purely Yours pump

The Ameda Purely Yours  breast pump allows mothers to choose from 32 different combinations of pressure and speed. It is a closed pumping system, so it is impossible for any milk to ever get into the pump motor. It is completely automatic and works very well for mothers who need to pump hands-free. The only real disadvantage is that if you want extra parts for it, you must order them online.

How Can I Get My Pump?

That's the easy part! All you have to do is get a prescription from your doctor and bring it to us or have it faxed to us (256-489-2584). We will make a copy of your insurance card and have you fill out some simple paperwork. We will get your information to the appropriate DME provider and you will get a call within a week or less letting you know you can pick it up. We can even have it delivered to the hospital for you! Based on information received from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama just yesterday, you may request your pump during pregnancy and up to a year after your baby's birth as long as you have the prescription from a physician!

What If I Have a Different Insurance?

If you have a different Blue Cross Blue Shield (Federal or another state) it will most likely work the same way. We will just need to verify everything, and you might not be able to get your pump the day you bring your prescription in. 

Parents who do not have Blue Cross Blue Shield may still be eligible for a free breast pump. The Affordable Health Care Act mandates that insurance companies provide you a breast pump. Each company has the option of choosing what kind of pump they will provide. While some companies are only willing to provide a hand pump, many companies will provide you a double electric pump. Just bring in your prescription and your insurance card, and the wonderful insurance experts will be able to verify your coverage quite quickly.

If you've received a pump paid for by insurance, take just a minute to tell your story in the comments!