Need your ideas and expertise...

[Tjej]

Does anyone have any good ideas for how to use the physical costs of FFing to motivate the insurance industry (and private hospitals) to be better at supporting BFing?

I recently read a book (Milk, Money, and Madness) about BFing and FFing and politics, etc. And it got me thinking - the book seems pretty intent upon using the government to make changes, and while I agree that would be great, it seems to me that private business is all about the almighty dollar, and there might be a more effective way to promote real change in the US.

What do you think? Any ideas? Anything little old me could do?

Tjej

[Chavelamomela]

One small start is to encourage health insrunce companies to pay for breast-pumps for working moms. I remember how appalled I was when my insurance said it only covers one if my child had cleft pallatte or prematurity!

Such short-sightedness, considering the long-term health-care cost savings that breastfeeding creates...

[sunflowergirll]

Work to mandate longer maternity leave? Public assistance for maternity leave?

[MaryJaneLouise]

Insurance companies with large group coverage, cover what large employers tell them to.

When employers start negotiating for better pediatric / breastfeeding coverage, it will happen.

I know you aren't focusing on the goverment to make change in this thread, but HRSA has a good publication / toolkit called "The Business Case for Breastfeeding."

http://ask.hrsa.gov/detail.cfm?PubID=MCH00254

Maybe something like this could be a starting point?

[MaryJaneLouise]

This previous thread regarded WOH employed new moms, but many of the arguments & studies would also hold true for SAH spouses of employees;

http://www.mothering.com/discussions....php?t=1050830

[Tjej]

Thank you for the information and ideas.

So, do you think sending insurance companies this kind of information might make a difference?

Tjej

[kriket]

Originally Posted by Tjej

Thank you for the information and ideas.

So, do you think sending insurance companies this kind of information might make a difference?

Tjej

probably not.

Insurance companies are also about risks. Its more risky to leave feeding a child in the mothers hands. We could practically turn baby making into a business if it wasn't for those pesky human rights violations. Insurance companies and DRs see it as, if a mother BFs she could be not giving them enough, doing drugs, drinking, what have you. If babies are FF you can at least know they are getting at least something that doesn't have heroine in it.

Crappy I know. I think lactivism is a better grassroots movement. People need to change policy, not policy change people IMO.

[Tjej]

I guess I had been thinking that if one could get the insurance companies to see that they would save substantially by moms BFing, then they would be a very powerful way to make change in hospitals (because they negotiate fees with hospitals...).

Tjej