PSA: Don't forget to order your breast pump!

liberty95 · April 2014

I know a lot of you know this, but for those who don't or who have forgotten, don't forget to check with your insurance company about ordering a breast pump.

Also, inquire about all of your options. I had three pharmacies to select from. All would ship the pump, but the first one I called was out of stock on the Medela PIS. The second one had it in stock and I got it today, less than 48 hours after ordering.

One thing to check of the list as the nesting starts to kick in.

Have a great day

ricecakes1216 · April 2014

I'm glad you posted this. I just got off the phone with insurance not even 10 minutes ago and I'm even more confused. I'll probably call back and ask questions but maybe I could get some input from you wonderful ladies!

Insurance does cover one once my deductible is met..which will be after everything is billed for the pregnancy. After that I would be responsible for 20%. My coworker gave me a Medela..actually the one I registered for..that she used once but her milk never came in so she didn't try anymore. It came with all brand new peices and such. Is it even worth going through the hassle of getting one through insurance?

dragonfly711 · April 2014

Some insurance companies will not ship until after the baby is born just an FYI.

fsumom · April 2014

I actually pick mine up at a store by the hospital. They recommended a week before my EDD.

flojo973 · April 2014

I just called yesterday. Insurance is so annoying, I got two different answers about when I could get the pump but finally got it cleared up. I just need a prescription from my OB and then I can go get it!

rachel8078 · April 2014

With mine, I have to be within 30 days of EDD. DH made a good point of, what do people do if baby comes earlier and have to pump right away due to baby's NICU stay?

ElTrain5 · April 2014

I actually got a great double electric Aventi on sale at target, only to figure out that I qualify for a free Medela PIS.....only to have lost my receipt for the Aventi. Anyone interested in a discounted breast pump? lol

flojo973 · April 2014

@ElTrain5 - why won't they let you return it without a receipt? I just returned a bunch of stuff at Target today without a receipt, they just give you store credit.

kimmyberly26 · April 2014

Mine requires me to be 30 days out from my EDD so I already have a calendar appt to remind me to order it.

jclester614 · April 2014

dragonfly711 said:
Some insurance companies will not ship until after the baby is born just an FYI.

This is my situation, and I find it totally annoying. I wish I could have it beforehand to, I don't know, clean it? Get it ready? Read some instructions? Feel prepared? Maybe that's just silly.

But at least I'd like to have the option of taking it with me so I can get help with it at the hospital. Oh well.

RaeJ004 · April 2014

jclester614 said:

Some insurance companies will not ship until after the baby is born just an FYI.
This is my situation, and I find it totally annoying. I wish I could have it beforehand to, I don't know, clean it? Get it ready? Read some instructions? Feel prepared? Maybe that's just silly. But at least I'd like to have the option of taking it with me so I can get help with it at the hospital. Oh well.

You can do all that after the baby arrives @jclester614. You'll have tons of extra time to just sit around and do whatever you want. And I'm sure you'll want to spend it cleaning and getting used to your new pump. Am I right?? I didn't even have to do anything, my midwife just walked into my last appointment with it and handed it to me.

liberty95 · April 2014

Based on all the differing responses I'm glad i posted this. Having to wait until after baby seems counterintuitive, I was allowed to order 60 days in advance of my EDD. I guess it's best to call and get the details straightened out now so you can have all your ducks in a row when you can place your order.

Read247 · April 2014

I just ordered mine! Should be here in 8-10 business days and is covered by my insurance!!!

ElTrain5 · April 2014

flojo973 said:

@ElTrain5 - why won't they let you return it without a receipt? I just returned a bunch of stuff at Target today without a receipt, they just give you store credit.

I never tried that...I always heard that target were such sticklers with returns. Maybe i'll give it a try! thanks

texasmama2014 · April 2014

It took a few weeks to get mine, in my area there are very few medical supply places that carried pumps. Also, my insurance would only cover a single pump(but it was free, so who cares?!).

robbinrl · April 2014

@rachel8078 even though I had my own pump (Medela PIS) I rented a hospital grade Medela symphony pump from the hospital to use at home while DD was in the NICU because I was pumping so much and it was the same pump the hospital provided to use while I was in the hospital and in DD's room.

I loved the symphony pump (very strong but gentle suction) but it was way more expensive to rent over time - I used the PIS once I was back at work.

If someone was in this situation, definitely ask the LCs at the hospital for options to borrow or rent a pump until yours comes in from insurance.

otter1103 · April 2014

I'll just add, my insurance company was of no help with this process. I have Anthem Blue Cross and when I asked them about getting my pump they said the usual, use a network provider, yada yada. Great. Go to the website, search for a network provider in my area, none listed. Contact Anthem, almost 3 weeks later they email me back with 2 online providers to use. Great. Progress. Sent my order to the company that had the pump I wanted (thought I'd try the Hygeia after researching it) along with my prescription. A week later the company tells me they cannot fulfill the order because although they are a network provider, they are not contracted in my state. Ugh! Back to Anthem and while waiting for another response I searched on my own for DME suppliers that had pumps. Contacted one and asked if they took my insurance. Sure enough they did and bonus, the Medela PISA they provided was what you'd get at BRU instead of the scaled down insurance version the online companies had. To my surprise, I was told I could get my pump anytime. The insurance company paid the claim for it 100% within 2 weeks of me getting the pump.

Basically, if you aren't getting anywhere with your insurance company, take matters into your own hands and try contacting local durable medical suppliers in your area of online. Good luck ladies!

Mia081081 · April 2014

My insurance company sent me an ameda purely yours, but the reviews on that one stink and I had some parts from my Medea freestyle so I called and they let me exchange for the Medela In Style which has much better reviews. Doesn't hurt to ask!

dimitjm1 · April 2014

I called two days ago to get info but now I'm not sure which pump to get. I'm trying to decide between the "Medela Advanced portable double breast pump w/o accessories" or the Hygeia Q. I had a Medela PISA with DS for 13 months that worked well, and I still have it, plan to use as a backup. Any thoughts on these options? Has anyone used a Hygeia in the past?

MrsP419 · April 2014

Apparently the LC at my hospital takes care of it. She said once I had the babies she would process everything and my insurance will cover it (from her experience, she has worked with others who have my insurance). It sounds a bit too good to be true that they would take care of everything, but from what I saw they stocked them at the hospital.

Mia081081 · April 2014

@dimitjm1‌ - I think the hygeia is supposed to be very good. One good thing about getting a Medela is if you have any spare parts you can use with the new one. You can't go wrong with those two though!

dragonfly711 · April 2014

jclester614 said:

dragonfly711 said:
Some insurance companies will not ship until after the baby is born just an FYI.
This is my situation, and I find it totally annoying. I wish I could have it beforehand to, I don't know, clean it? Get it ready? Read some instructions? Feel prepared? Maybe that's just silly.

But at least I'd like to have the option of taking it with me so I can get help with it at the hospital. Oh well.

@jclester614 yeah so with you. I think I can order mine a month before but they will not ship it until baby is born. So frustrating. I would like to read up on it too. They don't make it easy.

dragonfly711 · April 2014

lalala8 said:
I could use Byram medical supply, who lets you order whenever you want and will ship 30 days prior to due date (I think the 30 day rule is actually a stipulation of my insurance).

@lalala8 Byram is one of the companies I can use. My insurance company told me that I could not get one until baby was born. Wonder if it depends on your insurance when they will let you get one not the company we order from.

MrsAMB07 · April 2014

You'll most likely have plenty of time to read up and learn about your pump before needing to use it, even if you can't order before baby is born. If you're planning to nurse and not exclusively pump, it'll probably be a few weeks before you'll want to pump anyway. I'm sure it'll all work out!

Cherylwang · April 2014

I called my insurance and I guess I have to order 30 days before my due date so in a couple weeks I can order it and they will ship it for free. I am so excited!

BMaidPlanner · April 2014

rachel8078 said:
With mine, I have to be within 30 days of EDD. DH made a good point of, what do people do if baby comes earlier and have to pump right away due to baby's NICU stay?

Same for me!

stephpaez · April 2014

ElTrain5 said:

flojo973 said:

@ElTrain5 - why won't they let you return it without a receipt? I just returned a bunch of stuff at Target today without a receipt, they just give you store credit.

I never tried that...I always heard that target were such sticklers with returns. Maybe i'll give it a try! thanks

@ElTrain5‌ I think as long as it's still sealed they should take it back and offer you store credit. I had to return several baby gifts after loosing the receipts and it was not a hassle at all

jtaylor199 · April 2014

I actually just called about mine yesterday, I have BlueCross BlueShield Federal (for government employees) and it took about 5 minutes to order it, they didn't even need a prescription. So for those who use the same insurance, you shouldn't have an issue, they were actually very nice and helpful.

To those of you who need to wait until the baby is born you should check to see if the pump can be delivered to your hospital. I had a friend in the same situation and she asked if they could accommodate delivering it to the hospital. She got the pump shortly after delivery. I'm not sure what insurance company she uses but I could certainly ask if needed.

crhein26 · April 2014

ricecakes1216 said:

I'm glad you posted this. I just got off the phone with insurance not even 10 minutes ago and I'm even more confused. I'll probably call back and ask questions but maybe I could get some input from you wonderful ladies! Insurance does cover one once my deductible is met..which will be after everything is billed for the pregnancy. After that I would be responsible for 20%. My coworker gave me a Medela..actually the one I registered for..that she used once but her milk never came in so she didn't try anymore. It came with all brand new peices and such. Is it even worth going through the hassle of getting one through insurance?

ricecakes1216 - I didn't see a reply to this so I'm going to now. Honestly if you got one your co-worker gave you and you are going to have to pay 20% for a new one, I wouldn't waste my time and money. Use what your coworker gave you! You can always buy new attachments (insurance more than likely will not cover any extras).

lest12 · April 2014

I am also in the 'within 30 days of Ed' camp, and need a prescription from my dr (not an issue). I do wish I could just order it now and get it checked off my list, though.

ChristineMDF · April 2014

I have Aetna. I had a free Ameda Purley Yours Ultra last time from Oxford fully covered and I absolutely loved it. I am only getting a new one because I wore that motor dead.

The DME suppliers that Aetna uses only really had the Medela ones. So I went with the freestyle this time. I had to pay a 50 dollar "up charge" but since I will rent the Symphony this is my backup so I wanted to the most portable.

I had the pump within two days of making my claim.

ChristineMDF · April 2014

kaceymarie said:

this is confusing to me. i called my insurance & they gave me a list of providers. now what? do i call each of them and ask which one i can get? or do i get the same thing at each place?

I would call or check the website for each place and see what they offer etc. Get all of the information and go with the best place.

lest12 · April 2014

Agreed! My insurance only gave me one number but they were very well informed.

PinkKEL9 · April 2014

My insurance covers one 100% but I have to order through one of their providers. And I have to wait until 30 days until my due date. But I will get the Medela PISA for free, so I am happy about that!

mercy0606 · April 2014

Ordered mine today and it will be here by Friday. They even offered the accessories at better prices than BRU so I purchased the battery pack. Hoping to get the bag at shower.

kbellizio3 · April 2014

My insurance was surprisingly accommodating and knowledgeable about the pumps (considering they've been a PITA about everything else), all I had to do was get a prescription from my OB and then go through one of their providers. A majority by me didn't have the one I wanted so I called my insurance back and they gave me names further out. I ended up ordering a Medela PIS (the one I wanted) from a place over two hours from me but they shipped it to me.

One thing I did notice (and was glad I checked) was even though my insurance had no timeline of when I had to order the pump, some of the pharmacies did! One had the "when the baby is born" policy and even my OB said "that's stupid". I got my pump last month.

coffee89 · April 2014

My options are pretty much go to a medical supply store and ask them what is covered. Seriously, the insurance company won't discuss it over the phone and there is nowhere to find the information outside a medical supply store.I can also go to a regular retailer and then the insurance will reimburse me up to $200. I'm not sure what the bigger pain will be at this point.

They keep giving me mixed answers on if I need medical proof or not (but getting straight answers out of them is always a fun chore) and I can do it no sooner than one month before my due date and up to a year after.

gmc222 · April 2014

After my c/s with DD my milk didn't come in for 5 days, and I was informed that the pumps you buy at regular retail stores, like the Medela PIS, is only for use after your milk comes in, and you need to use a hospital grade one before that because it is so much stronger. So I wouldn't worry too much about not having a pump when you deliver the baby, the hospital will have one you can use.

MrsAy · April 2014

I also Have Blue Cross Blue Shield of NJ and they sent it to me right away. I called them and they gave me the number of their supplier who shipped it to me in 2 days. They don't require a prescription just the name of your doctor, the whole process took less than 10 minutes.

cinnamonsmiles · April 2014

alas, my insurance does not cover pumps but I bought mine just yesterday!
I want to be familiar with it before baby comes and know whether I want to buy extra tubing/flanges for travel.

jessicalynn0828 · April 2014

https://acelleron.com/products/post-natal/breastpumps/order/

I used this site!! Just print out the form and have your doctors office fill out the bottom portion. I mailed it in instead of faxing and they contacted me within the week and a Medela PIS sent to be the next day! Good Luck ladies

Just FYI its only for certain states!!

PSA: Don't forget to order your breast pump!

Re: PSA: Don't forget to order your breast pump!

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