First, I do want to say that I am happy for you and I am glad to see women who are so committed (as I am!).
But in our zeal to help mothers, it is important that we remember that if an insurance company is required (either by law or by their own contract) to provide
lactation services, and if there is no lactation consultant who is in-network (i.e. because no lactation consultant wants to make what the insurance companies are offering, which is typically 1/4 of fair market value), then there is what is called a "geographic gap" and the insurance company is REQUIRED to pay for out-of-network coverage.  In Manhattan, this is how lactation consultants are able to be paid what they are worth.  Making sure that we are paid fairly is the only way that we can ensure that our profession will flourish and that in the future all mothers in this country will be able to receive good help that is covered by their insurance companies.  Signing on with an insurance company at this time is often just doing the insurance company a favor--doing charity work/underpaid work for an insurance company--which does not help mothers in the long run.  Instead, it hurts the future of our profession and the future of breastfeeding.  Please, when anyone signs on with an insurance company, make sure that you are charging at least what others (who do not accept insurance) are charging--and do not go by the ones who are doing it part-time as sort of a favor to mothers, go by those who are great at what they do, spend a couple of hours with a mother, charge for follow-ups (a key indicator that they do not see themselves primarily as volunteers), etc.
Desiree, this is not aimed at you, I would imagine that prices in Arizona are fairly similar whether it is insurance-paid or customer paid.  This is for the rest of us, many of whom live in states where the insurance companies are offering far too little.  Note that in Alabama, a speech therapist is reimbursed by insurance 18 dollars for the same 30 minutes that the same insurance companies pay 180 dollars for in Massachusetts.  Why?  Better negotiating.  It goes without saying that if we want to attract the best and the brightest in high numbers and to have them pay for an education (and even give up other careers, as many become ibclc's after having established themselves in other professions), then we had better make sure that the profession pays well.
As I write this, I am remembering earlier posts and conversations from long ago where a couple of people started throwing out the word greed.  Please everyone stop to think about the future of this profession.  Make sure it is respected and well-paid.  If anyone feels greedy getting paid fairly, then please donate the money to charity!  Donate it to LLL!  (I am a LLL volunteer and LOVE LLL!!)  Just let's not donate our time and profession to greedy insurance companies!
On Aug 30, 2013, at 9:49 PM, LACTNET automatic digest system <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> UHC Contract- in network provider in AZ


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