Institute of Medicine’s Recommendations Have Been Officially Adopted!

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recently made recommendations that would help aim medical professionals in the right direction, by urging cost-free lactation assistance in hospital and other healthcare settings, as well making lactation aids like pump rentals cost-free, even free of co-pays, through insurance companies.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has now adopted the IOM’s recommendations IN FULL.

This is an expansion of the Affordable Care Act, which has many amazing and life-saving new regulations, including better well-woman visit coverage. For breastfeeding moms specifically this means that with each pregnancy and birth you are entitled to “Comprehensive lactation support and counseling, by a trained provider during pregnancy and/or in the postpartum period, and costs for renting breastfeeding equipment.”

Health plans are required to provide these services — with no cost-sharing of any kind (meaning FREE to you!) — as of August 1st, 2012, so don’t rush out to rent a pump right away, but it’s coming, it’s coming! What a fantastic thing to happen to close our World Breastfeeding Week.

While it may seem to some like a minor step, each step is more encouragement for breastfeeding moms, and means less Booby Traps for Babes to encounter. Lactation assistance in the past has often been hard to come by (especially quality assistance), and sometimes quite cost-prohibitive. The idea that now any mom who wants to breastfeed will be able to, cost-free, have counseling and support in person with a trained professional, AND have access to pumps just makes us smile. After all, the biggest goal we have is to make sure that moms who WANT to breastfeed are able to, and that all moms can meet their goals, whether it’s two days, two weeks, two years or beyond. It’s rare that we get to report good news, so this is a big YAY!

Did you have issues being able to afford a pump or lactation help? Will you take advantage of the new provisions next year?

Brought to you by A Mother’s Boutique and Hot Mama Gowns!

Image credit: Nikki LaShea

Christie Haskell is a coffee and tea-addicted wife to Kyle and mother of two wee beasties — Rowan (7) and Aurora the Destroyer (2) and one fur baby, Isis. She’s a true geek at heart and spends too much time playing video games and reading fantasy novels when she’s not typing her fingers off for CafeMom’s The Stir or her personal blog-love, DailyMomtra.

 



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5 Comments | Last revised on 08/10/2011


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5 Responses to Institute of Medicine’s Recommendations Have Been Officially Adopted!

  1. This is an AWESOME step! We as a country have met our Healthy People 2010 goal of at least a 75% breastfeeding initiation rate, but we are WOEFULLY bad at following up with those mothers in the weeks and months after hospital discharge. Now, mothers with insurance will have access to ANY trained lactation professional (IBCLCs and CLCs) of their choice! Women without insurance will likely be able to get assistance from WIC. There may be some women who fall through the cracks, but with a hige reimbursement rate, I can imagine many LCs will be willing to help women at low or no charge- I know I will!

    What great news for everyone!

  2. Melissa Cline says:

    Do you have any specifics about whether non-MD or RN IBCLCs will be reimbursed as a result?

  3. @Melissa - As a certified postpartum doula and CLC (I applied and received a NPI #) so clients can submit my paid invoice. However it’s not easy going for them to receive reimbursement for lactation/postpartum doula services from their health insurance companies. I’ve heard from other Doula in states other then mine there are some getting reimbursed. If I read it correctly this new bill seems to indicate private health insurance companies will have to reimburse for lacation services.

    It remains to be seen if you need to have a MD, RN or an IBCLC or if being a certified postpartum doula, CLC will qualify us.

    • It may be difficult, but the law does not specify WHICH providers are considered ‘trained’. I contacted Healthy Children’s to confirm with them and they agree that according to the law, CLCs should be covered. Guess we’ll start submitting bills and will see what happens!

  4. Laura Gruber says:

    I am VERY interested in knowing whether non-RN IBCLCs will be reimbursed once the Affordable Care Act is in place. If anyone knows this answer, please post.

    :),
    Laura Gruber, IBCLC
    http://www.BreastfeedingHousecalls.com
    San Antonio, Texas

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