Subject: | |
From: | |
Reply To: | |
Date: | Tue, 3 Dec 1996 22:28:30 PST |
Content-Type: | text/plain |
Parts/Attachments: |
|
|
Hello to all of you.
My name is Angie Burks and I'm an LLL leader at Fort Irwin, California.
I am the wife of an Army officer and recipient of Army health care. The
Army's health care insurance provider currently does not cover visits to
lactation consultants. I'd like to try to change that, but I'm not really
sure how to go about it. Currently all I have is an address which to
send my "petition or grievance" and my opinion. At the present time if
a mom is having bf difficulties all that happens is she is refered to LLL
or sent home with some complimentary formula! Of course we aren't
always called and sometimes the problems are out of our realm of
knowledge. If we recommend a visit to a lactation consultant or a
phone consult it doesn't have the same weight as if they were refered
by a doctor, with the knowledge that it is a benefit covered by our
insurance. Many families don't have the money or sadly aren't willing
to spend it on something so important. I believe that many think if this
were important enough it would be a covered health benefit and the
doctor would have told them about it. I'm not sure how to tackle this. I
thought a letter from me as the petitioner, backed up hopefully with
letters from medical staff here at the hospital and some current research
about the benefits of breastfeeding, the health care savings through
breastfeeding, as well as information on the role of the lactation
consultant. I would appreciate any advice you can offer as well as any
info that I can pull off the internet. Fort Irwin is a rather remote location
so no real library facilities are nearby.
Thanks,
Angie Burks, LLL of Fort Irwin
|
|
|