Recently a patient died unexpectedly on the 3rd day ppartum.  Her widower,
having been to my breastfeeding class during his wife's pregnancy, desires
breastmilk for his child (and why should he settle for less?).  Affording
milk from the milk bank is a barrier, and insurance will not cover.

I will be providing him with info on doing in-home heat treatment of donor
milk, provision of which he will coordinate himself from his own sources
(having been informed of the possible risks), but my question to everyone
is:

Have you successfully appealed an insurance company refusal to reimburse for
donor milk from a milk bank (in this case, from the San Jose Milk Bank)?
What language did you use?  What did you feel made your appeal successful?

The baby's father has mild eczema, but not asthma; there are no siblings
(therefore no family history from that source); the baby's paternal
grandfather has IDDM.

Yours in milk,

Arly Helm, MS, IBCLC

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