I remember reading Mary Alice Tinari's posting about finding
the Independence Blue Cross booth at a local baby expo
promoting formula. Well...

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts recently did a
mass mailing of a brochure entitled "Seven Secrets That
Make Using Your Plan Easy" The brochure ID code indicates
that 400M were published. The brochure is a guide for "HMO
Blue" members (the HMO that employs me is a member, so
all my patients received this brochure).

Imagine my reaction when I saw the drawing of a baby
happily holding and sucking a bottle on the face of the
envelope. But hey -- its gets "better." There is a paragraph
inside the brochure that reads:

"...to make sure your kids get a healthy start, too, sign up for
LIVING HEALTHY(R) BABIES! our free
prenatal-through-first-year wellness program. Enrollees get
the 'Mothercare Guide to Pregnancy and Child Care' book,
the 'Home Before You Know It' video, a helpful quarterly
newsletter, age-appropriate tips on safety, emergencies,
illness, parenting, and child development." The drawing used
to illustrate this paragraph is a woman bottle-feeding (in a
very detached manner) a smiling baby! (gak!!!)

Perhaps some members of the list also saw this brochure. If
you want to send an appropriate response, the address is:

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts, 100 Summer
Street, Boston, MA 02110.  The president and CEO is a
fellow named William C. Van Faasen.

It's ironic that the brochure touts the many ways BCBS of
MA is working to help members "look great, feel great and
live longer." Hellooo?

Margery Wilson, IBCLC
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Medical Department
Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA