In Ontario, Canada, breast pumps are not provided by our health care system for home use. While mothers are in the hospital after giving birth, or while their baby is in the hospital they can pump on the hospital pump in the hospital but at home it is a personal expense to rent/purchase the pump you need.
Some, but not many personal extra healthcare insurance will cover breastfeeding related expenses.
Tania
Tania Archbold B.Sc, IBCLC
Mothers Nectar Lactation Consultant Services
Guelph, ON Canada
519-400-7098
On 2013-04-22, at 2:29 PM, [log in to unmask] wrote:
> I want to address the issue of breast pumps being provided for "free" to all comers. If you are eligible for free formula, then breast pumps being provided free make sense. How does an insurance company monitor that the pumps it provides are actually being used for the desired outcomes? Will insurance companies now provide formula for "free" to their subscribers? I have heard of folks appearing at DME's wanting their "free" breast pump who are not breastfeeding - something to sell on the internet. With this free item, will there be a requirement to prove that the baby is getting breast milk? Such as a chip in the pump that sends back to the company that it is being used (like what is now in cpap machines prescribed for sleep apnea)? I think pumps can be very important but wonder what will happen over the long haul -either become higher priced or provide lower quality. How is this addressed in countries that have universal health care?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Lactation Information and Discussion [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Judy LeVan Fram
> Sent: Thursday, April 18, 2013 1:41 PM
> Subject: Re: pump and working
>
> Susan writes:
>
> A large US insurer provides only a manual/hand pump (outside of covering a
> rental for certain medical circumstances such as baby in the NICU, etc--the rental is not covered for back to work) and all women are given a manual pump when discharged from the hospital after birth as compliance with the new law to provide breastfeeding equipment as needed..
> There's a lot of controversy among LCs, MDs, etc about this, both pro and con.
>
> So, what do you think?
>
> ~~~
> I think it's a form of malpractice, although I know insurance companies are not health care professionals, and they are certainly not qualified as professional lactation assessment /care persons. ( Problem: I'm not sure they know that.) Would an insurance company "allow" only a cane for a patient who has a condition in which their legs don't work normally, and they need crutches, or a wheelchair? If that person fails to regain normal function because they never got the right equipment or care, that should be malpractice too. It seems as if insurance companies think they are experts in lactation and can make decisions, whereas they would never arbitrarily and
> ignorantly do that is other areas of personal and public health. Giving moms
> inappropriate pumps, rather than having someone reputable actually discern what IS appropriate for the situation, and providing the right "durable medical equipment" for the mother/baby dyad should be the standard of care. It's been very frustrating to see mom with even more inappropriate pumps than before, simply because that was the free pump from the insurance company. I suggest to all moms to let their insurance company know that pump was inappropriate and created problems, in writing.
>
> Peace,
> Judy
>
> Judy LeVan Fram, PT, IBCLC, LLLL
> Brooklyn, NY, USA
> [log in to unmask]
>
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