Breast pump rental?

bananers · March 2016

After looking into our insurance coverage online regarding breast pumps, I discovered ours covers a rental at 100%, but not a purchase. Anyone else in a similar boat? I know I need to eventually call insurance directly to get specifics, but after going around in circles with them this afternoon for a separate issue and getting false information multiple times before finally getting the correct info, I'm not terribly impressed with or confident in their knowledge.

Just curious if anyone else has a similar policy and looked into specifics. Think I can assume a rental would be a hospital grade? And if so, are those typically large and cumbersome for lugging to and from work?

ShanRum3 · March 2016

I don't know the answer to your specific question, but when I called my insurance company directly, I was told that I could get a breast pump through a website they use, or I could buy one at Walmart or Target and get reimbursed up to a whopping $28 for it! It's kind of frustrating, considering the amount of money that is paid to insurance companies!!!

SkiChic626 · March 2016

ShanRum3 $28???? That's laughable! That's like a couple boxes of BM storage bags. I'm pretty sure mine is probably the same, though. I can pick from an Ameda or a Medela, same as last time, and they just send it to me. But my Medela crapped out after 7 mos last time, so I'd really like to get a hospital grade pump this time. I have a feeling I'll be paying for it OOP. I wonder if I can pay for it with my HSA card....

smilormarie · March 2016

Mine did not cover rental unless baby was in NICU but I highly recommend renting the hospital pump. It's so much stronger. Get a second pump you like for travel purposes. I paid out of pocket for 3 months rental and it was worth every penny.

lmtrmama · March 2016

I had a rental with my first which I took to work and it was fine. I LOVED IT. I just don't really like pumping. But being 2 min in and having half of a bottle full is an amazing feeling. With my youngest, insurance paid for the pump but it was NOT hospital grade like the rental. It took a long time and it just felt ineffective compared to the one I had before. I would be really excited to get
the rental if I were you! It's great! I quit pumping early with the last one because I got bored sitting there for 20 min and not getting too much milk! And you could probably get a carry case for it, or if it comes with one, just keep it in a cute tote!

bananers · March 2016

@smilormarie @lmtrmama what kind of pump was it? Was it big?

smilormarie · March 2016

Yes it was big and it was the hospital Ameda. I also took mine to work in a separate tote and it was fine. Medela is probably comparable and unlike at-home pumps which are open systems, the hospital medela would be closed systems. And I highly recommend for any open system at-home pump you choose that you use the closed system tubing and parts. It effectively turns an open system pump into a closed system.

* plus side to a rental - the slightest thing goes wrong you take it back to the hospital to switch it for another. I swapped mine about 3 times. Their engineers just fix it free of charge.

lmtrmama · March 2016

mine was a medela, just hospital grade. They have them at babies r us so even if you want to get a feel for the size, you could probably ask them and they would show you!

ashleymz · March 2016

I had a hospital grade for a while... it was really heavy and it came in like a tool box carrier. Once I got the madela freestyle I was in heaven. Hospital grade is effective and great but not super practical IMO... plus it requires always pumping with an outlet, and I often didn't have that luxury

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