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!