PSA: Before you buy a pump...

kkh2002

check to see if your insurance will cover all or part of the cost.  My BCBS policy covers 80% (once I met my major medical deductible) of the cost of a pump for a preterm baby.  The catch is that I have to buy it from a "preferred vendor" meaning the hospital.  This'll save me a couple of hundred dollars at least.

ETA:  BCBS will also reimburse 80% of my pump rental.

sweetpea18

You can also submit what you pay out of pocket to your flex spending account.  I ended up need a letter of medical necessity from the nicu, but they were more than happy to give it to me. 

clyoungsey

yep, i did both!!

lemen99

jealousE!  My insur co said that only a manual pump was medically necessary - to which I wrote a letter disagreeing and a statement signed by the lactation consultant and the neonatologist.  Speaking of, I never heard anything back, so I need to call to see if they reviewed it.

 

clyoungsey

lemen99:

jealousE!  My insur co said that only a manual pump was medically necessary - to which I wrote a letter disagreeing and a statement signed by the lactation consultant and the neonatologist.  Speaking of, I never heard anything back, so I need to call to see if they reviewed it.

 

this...is ridulous!  They know nothing about pumping obviously!

BitterOldHag

Mine was covered 100%.  My doc was going to to write a medical necessity letter due to mutiples but with the NICU time and needing to measure every ml at feeding time, she didn't need to.

clyoungsey

There are codes for prematurity and engorgement that most insurance co's see as a medical necessity