Breast Pump

emwilson80

Soooo..just found out my insurance does not cover a Breast pump.

lauranicole91

Bummer. Mine didn't either 3 years ago. I bought the tommee tippee double electric and loved it. I mean, as much as one could love a pump anyways. Haha.

emwilson80

Yea it sucks because I HAVE to work after I have the baby. I thought they would have to cover it also.

FreddyisReady

Mine covers a cheap one with bad reviews. I'll be buying my own too. I will be spending a lot of time at work pumping and I want to make sure to get a machine that will be worth my time and effort.

And I was under the impression that insurance had to cover it effective 2014.

jenanns

Apparently Tricare ( military insurance) does not have to follow the ACA - I am not sure if this is the orignal posters insurance or not.  However there is legislation out there to get that changed and it has been in the works since January of this year...I am hoping it gets passed before May so OP you might want to follow up as we get closer if that is the case for you as well.

happyfarmwife10

What exactly is the process to get a pump? Do you wait until after the baby ones or so far along? Do you contact your insurance?

On the Medela website it says my insurance does cover it. Just not sure if I need to do something about it now.

jenanns

@happyfarmwife10 I think it varies .  I am swithcing insurance in Jan 1 so just tried to order the pump because old insurance covers and new doesn't.

My current insurance is Aetna and they list companies you can order from online one of them was this one:

https://yummymummystore.com/

I just went there and selected my insurance and input all other info then they contact insurance for approval and confirmation.  They do say depending on how many orders they have etc sometimes they have to send out in order of due date but that the latest you would receive it would be 1 month before due date.  If you apply now you have time to deal with any hickups....

daiseyc123

@happyfarmwife10 When I called my insurance last week (Harvard Pilgrim) they told me that my midwife/doctors would write me a prescription, then the name of the local medical device retailer from which to get it from. The breast pump must come from that store in order to be covered. They also told me that if I wanted either electric or a double to make sure that was specifically stated on the prescription or else it would not be covered. As far as a timeline they suggested doing it before birth, but that it was still very early and to wait until after the new year.

jennadesigns

Mine only covers a manual one and I know that I was the Medela PISA. So, looks like I'll be forking over the money for one. Bummer. I'm jealous of you guys with good insurance!

cassietegtmeier

jenanns said:

Apparently Tricare ( military insurance) does not have to follow the ACA - I am not sure if this is the orignal posters insurance or not.  However there is legislation out there to get that changed and it has been in the works since January of this year...I am hoping it gets passed before May so OP you might want to follow up as we get closer if that is the case for you as well.

I have the same insurance and it's discouraging. I went to price some yesterday and wow! Hopefully this gets passed!

lakingsfan2015

If you have the opportunity to sign up for an FSA account do so now! You can use FSA money for a breast pump.

jg106514

Mine covered crappy ones and rentals. But I did get to use the remainder of my FSA dollars to cover it! I got the Medela Advanced tote; it had such amazing reviews!

a316b

My current insurance doesn't - and i went through a pump with each of my pregnancies (i exclusively pumped). 

My insurance is changing (new teaching contract) in january, and it is covered! They will give $150 towards any pump or $1500 toward rental of a hospital grade one. I'm going that route this time around. 

Check out amazon?

You can always register for one for the completion coupon and save money that way... 

FreddyisReady

Ahhh...I should have enrolled in FSA during open enrollment period. ( I have really good insurance, but they do skimp on the pump. So I guess it balances out. If I were to order through my insurance, I would call thier toll free number after birth and they would deliver it to me.

HeatherC21

After doing a bit of research I discovered my insurance does cover a pump but they only gave me names of brands that were not well known and it has to be within 30 days of delivery. I stumbled upon a website called aeroflow that seems to be the easiest route to go with. They do all the leg work for you with your insurance, can get it to you way sooner, and though I may end up paying some out of pocket it seems like the most stress free way to go about getting a pump I can actually read reviews on ect.

blitzy23

My friend was given a pump through Obama care. Her insurance is through her husband's company. Has anyone else heard of this?

ldmw

If you are having trouble getting a breast from your insurance or the brand you want (Medela) check out sites like aeroflowinc.com or other medical supply companies. My insurance company gave me a list of pump brands I'd never heard of, but a coworker informed me of this site. You put in your doctor's and insurance information and the company does all of the work to see if you are covered and if so, send you the pump of your choice.

Ndracer

@irishtheatrechic‌ sounds like my insurance. Got my free book too but no coverage for breast pump as my employer doesn't participate in that coverage?

MrsPDX

For those whose insurance does, what do you do with your prescription?

I got my prescription today, but not sure where I take it...

I guess I'll have to call the insurance and see. 

MrsPDX

marybeth080710 and if your insurance pays 100% then they just bill the insurance company and send you the pump?

emwilson80

I'll be switching insurance mid year next year anyways (cheaper for family but higher deductible). I did sign up for FSA for next year. Maybe I can at least get a tax deduction!! I'll check out the websites, but I'll put one on my registry I suppose. Maybe I'll get some gift cards to put towards it!

blitzy23

@marybeth080710‌ thank you for that clarification! Clearly I had no idea what it was all about!