breast pump covered by insurance?

[alison]

Moms and dads: have any of you had any experience with your insurance covering your breast pump? Dh called our HMO, and they cover it if it's a medical necessity. One needs a prescription for it, but our insurance would cover the cost of a pump up to $1000! I am going to ask my OB about it when I see her next, because I'm not sure what is meant by medical necessity. I assume it has to do with multiples, working mothers, that sort of thing.

[MarissaNicole]

Hmm - I have never heard of medical necessity? I've just heard they either do or they don't. My friend's doctor wouldn't prescribe it until after the baby was born though so she purchased the kind she wanted and then returned the "prescribed one" with the receipt from the first one she purchased. (So she had it before the baby came).

[SuzySunshine]

We never checked with our insurance but my doctor would have written me a scrip after A because my milk didn't come in. I had to pump for 15 minutes every 2 hours for 2 weeks to get it to come in - that was considered a medical necessity. I would guess at $1,000 you're looking at a hospital grade pump, those are definitely not portable. You can get a nice portable one for around $300-$400. You might as your OB at your next appointment what she considers a medical necessity since she'd probably be the one writing you the scrip.

[Deebs]

If your OB won't write for it, the lactation consultant probably will (and should be able to through a protocol). Just say that there will be times you'll be away from your baby and unable to feed. There's a medical necessity right there.

[Pollyanna]

Women with inverted nipples fall under the category of medical necessity. $1000, holy cow, that is a HUGE allowance. I don't think the insurance companies even reimburse the OB that much for a vaginal delivery.

[Cumberland]

Our last insurance covered ours. And my sister's husband works for an accounting firm that pays for them as well.

[PrincessFiona]

My insurance company would have payed for a breast pump, but I felt sort of silly asking for it. I bought one myself. They did pay for this elaborate system after my milk definitely didn't come in where I basically was able to "breastfeed" formula. The contraption was just a plastic bottle with tubing of different sizes that I taped to my breast/nipple...but it was expensive.

Hmmm. Now I wish I had used it longer. It was such a pain to prepare though. Totally off topic though.

Kris