Breast pumps and the health care reform act - Page 2 « Back to Group Discussions

[pastormama]

My insurance is so backlogged on this that I can't even order my pump until the baby is born (annoying!). I have united health care. They were totally unready for the changes at the beginning of 2013.

I need a hospital grade pump. I will pump at work full time and struggled with supply with dd. the only way I can get one is with a prescription for a feeding disorder or a premature baby. I'm thinking our family doc will write me a scrip, but again, not till baby is born and we go for our first appt. I'm thinking I will rent one from the hospital nearby for the first month, then go from there. It will be about $65. I have all the parts and bottles still.

[Quinalla]

I have UHC too, it isn't a backlog that is causing issues for me (though the supplier I'm going to use is out of the nice Medela PIS Advanced package, but I want another Ameda so I don't mind), they simply won't send you a pump until the baby (or babies in my case) are born and then I think you have 30 days maybe to get in your request. Luckily, the supplier I am working with let me send in the paperwork in advance and then told me to just call them once I have the babies or call if it looks like I will go past my due date. It is so silly that you have to wait until after your baby is born, who knows how long it will take them to send out a pump and maybe I might want to familiarize myself with the pump first? I'm glad I have my pump from last time I'll use if needed until I get my new pump!

The other thing UHC did is the first time I called (back in February), they gave me three companies I could contact. When I called back in late March, they had dropped two of the three and added one So disorganized! And yeah, none are hospital grade, but I don't want a hospital grade pump myself, but I don't know why renting one for a certain period isn't an option.

[TwilightJoy]

I have UHC as well and it's been such a struggle to get information from them about this! I've received conflicting information- one rep told me that I had to wait until my deductible was met (aka baby born) before I could get one, another said I could get one now if I wanted, and I had to order it through one of their in network suppliers. All of the in network suppliers on their website that I have contacted won't sell me one though. However, one directed me to a store in a local city where I can get one. I called the store and they said they would order me one through insurance if I brought in a prescription. I got a prescription yesterday, and am going to drive to this store some day next week when I can get off work. It's such a hassle!

[jessmn]

I called about this once with my insurance a while ago and am planning on calling again tomorrow. My understanding is that my insurance doesn't "give" me anything for free, but they let me have a "free rental" of a hospital grade double electric for 3 months at a time, requiring a doctor's note after the first period of time. I am responsible for paying for all the accessories. Of course maybe they haven't worked out the details of this either!

My doula said the hospital should send me home with one, but that's what I want to check out - when am I getting this thing, who from, and what the heck am I getting?!

I have Group Health if anyone else has that...

Edited by jessmn - 4/12/13 at 8:09am

[Quinalla]

Twilightjoy, yeah I never got a straight answer on the prescription, so I got one from my OB just in case as she was happy to write one. From what I've seen the insurance companies are totally disorganized and trying to avoid paying (like always) any way they can. It's so dumb too as breastpumps are honestly pretty inexpensive and if more women get them and are BFing longer, its going to save insurance companies $$ with less babies being sick and all that. I hate insurance companies

[jacquelinej]

I have just gone through this with my insurance...I had a hospital grade pump with DD and a regular Medela pump-in-style which totally failed for me.  So this time I am sticking with the hospital grade.  I had all sorts of issues with supply and a premature baby to boot which is why I had the Medela Symphony hospital grade pump.  Yes, its heavy, and I will be traveling with it, but the PIS limited my production to almost nothing.

My insurance is Unicare Basic, I doubt anyone has this one.  But the first time I called they said I just needed an Rx for a pump over $500, they would pay 80% after my deductible, and that I could buy a used hospital grade pump if I chose (it's a closed system so multiple moms can use it).  I bought one off ebay for $700 (regularly $1600-2400 new).  When I called back last week, they said it had to be a new pump through a pharmacy with the Rx.  So now I am reselling the used pump on ebay.  What a pain!  I had hoped to be saving money with a used one.  

The other option is the insurance will pay for a rental up to $500 worth of rent.  That only gets me through 7 or 8 months.

My OB said he will write a script for any pump I want.  Not sure what I am going to do, but DH is encouraging me to jump the hoops with insurance and buy a new hospital grade one so that if we have another I already have the pump and can resell it on ebay.

[SteeleTig]

I ended up ordering an Ameda Purely Yours from Byram Healthcare today. I REALLY wanted a Hygeia but they were only offered to Aetna members and I have UHC. The APY gets better reviews than the Medela they were offering. I have a Medela PIS from my first and found it only so-so in efficiency so hopefully this will be better. My choices from the three DMEs UHC allowed weren't very good. 

[Eilis]

So far, the Ameda Purely Yours is the best option I have found via my insurer, as well. Hygeia and Medela double electrics don't seem to be available. I will be asking my local La Leche League friends what they think of this pump. Reviews of Ameda Purely Yours are pretty positive. Some reports of wearing out, but others say theirs have lasted for years. Customer service sounds good. I like the carry case and accesories for going to work.
 

[Quinalla]

I loved my Ameda, I did have the pump break at one point, but it was still under warranty and they got a new one out to me in a couple days and in the interim paid for a hospital rental for me since I needed a pump every work day. Customer service was great to work with, my Mom had purchased the pump as a gift, but I didn't need the receipt for them to cover it which was good! I traveled with it (car only) a few times too, but it's nice for that for sure. Can't guarantee it will work for everyone, but it was great for me and that's what I'm getting again!

[Loogiejane]

This will be my first babe so I am new to everything. I am not making my registry public until after babe comes (dont want people buying me things before the birth and we're not having a shower but rather a baby naming after the birth) but I realize I have so little on there. So I figured bottles could be one thing to add to it. But I don't know what bottles to get. How do pumps work? If you want to pump your milk right into the bottle does the bottle HAVE to be the same brand? So if I wanted Avent bottles would I need an Avent pump? So then if I am not pumping directly into the bottle, what do I pump the milk into? 

I don't have any plans on how or when we'll use bottles other than I'll give it a try at 6 weeks and see how it goes, hopefully being able to reserve that precious milk for just a couple times a week when I want a break or have an appointment and need DH to use a bottle. Or not at all and will exclusively nurse. Not making any strict rules for myself at this point. 

But I do want to have a pump there if I need it so I want to prepare with the bottles before I start.

Thanks for your input mamas. 

[nstewart]

Originally Posted by Loogiejane 

But I don't know what bottles to get. How do pumps work? If you want to pump your milk right into the bottle does the bottle HAVE to be the same brand? So if I wanted Avent bottles would I need an Avent pump? So then if I am not pumping directly into the bottle, what do I pump the milk into? 

I think it will depend on the pump.  Not all bottles are universal.  Some brands are interchangeable. 

So, for example, I have a Medela PIS.  I wanted to get bottles to fit my pump, I gave all of mine away last time since DS wouldnt' take a bottle (I think I kept two, but don't know where the heck they got to).  I couldn't find any Medela nipples that aren't this crazy new system that Medela is selling, so I bought Dr. Brown's glass bottles instead.  The Dr. Browns and the Medela are both narrow necked bottles.  A Tommy Tippy bottle, for example, would not be compatible with my pump.

So if you know what pump you want, I would try to research online what bottles are compatible.  If you don't find that information, then just go to the store and compare the neck of a bottle that does fit your pump with other brands so you can see what will fit.

If you don't pump into a bottle, you can pump into a BM storage bag.

I don't have much advice on bottles or feeding systems or whatnot otherwise, since DS didn't take a bottle.

[Quinalla]

A lot of bottles will work with a lot of different pumps, but yeah do research before you buy. Dr. Brown's bottles do fit on the Ameda Purely Yours pump, that's what I used and no problems pumping directly into the bottle.

[SteeleTig]

I pumped into the bottles provided with my pump last time and then just poured the milk into storage bags to freeze since I'm a SAHM and only needed pumped milk for special occasions. This time I'm hoping to donated milk so I'll be doing the same thing. 

[adventuregirl]

Just finally got some good info, but I have to wait to order. I have Cigna insurance and am using Edge Park Medical Supply, but they won't take an order until it is 30 days before your due date. So I have to wait till Monday . Anyway, they have 3 options for me, a Medlea and 2 Ameda's, I think I'll be going with the Ameda Purely Yours since that seems to have good reviews. So my insurance company told me I needed a prescription, and I didn't get one because my mw can't write one and I'm not seeing a doctor. But the supply co just said I needed to provide my mw's name and number...so I am keeping my fingers crossed that I can get it w/out a script. I'm finding that some things are just better left unsaid with insurance companies.