This letter is in reply to Pam's need for additional information regarding getting insurance company coverage for Breastpumps. With the advent of managed care we have seen increasingly that insurance companies are attempting to reduce costs in all areas not just lactation. Increasingly its more difficult to secure coverage for equipment. Of course the key is to focus on how this rental will decrease the insurance costs over time. Focus on the cost savings aspect may assist in obtaining coverage. Additionally persistence is also a key. Also personal touch. My brother worked as a claims examiner for an insurance company. He tended to pay claims when someone would call him every day about the claim. Also make the claim very "humanized" and let them know they are affecting a real person. At least the mother got some assistance with WIC. Years ago mothers sometimes had nowhere to go. However, the help from WIC is still not consistent. Some state WIC's have purchased hundred's of Hospital Grade Pumps. Others offices have none available. It would be good to see some consistency here. Most of the Pump companies offer "Grant" programs that allow indigent mothers access to electric pumps. You might want to contact a local rental station to learn more about these programs. However, these grant pumps many time have issues of access and availability. It is still highly desirable for the mother to be able to get the pump as soon as possbile from a convenient location. Many rental Stations are in suburban areas. The need for pumps tends to be more high concentrated in urban areas. Even in suburbia there are issue of transportation, etc. Richard Weston Medela Inc. [log in to unmask]