http://www.thedailybeast.com/witw/articles/2013/08/04/obamacare-and-your-breasts-overcoming-the-challenges-to-breastfeeding-support.html
August marks the one year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. Obamacare) provision that offers new moms breastfeeding support and supplies for free. Given that mothers are the fastest growing segment of the U.S. workforce with 56 percent having children under the age of three, this impacts many women on a national scale. However, the Obamacare provision offers very little direction about breast pump specifications or lactation support details, leaving open-ended questions for everyone involved, including insurance providers and new mothers.
As the manufacturers of a very popular hands-free pumping bra, my sisters and I were excited about the Affordable Care Act. The light bulb went off when we realized there was an opportunity to give moms a complete tool kit to help drive their breastfeeding success. When considering all of the pieces that will help a new mom, as this provision aims to do,it’s not a matter of simply handing her a breast pump with a book of instructions; it’s about providing a well-rounded package that will help both mothers and babies reap the benefits of breastfeeding. Mothers that breastfeed are at less of a risk for post-partum depression,several types of cancer, heart disease and type-2 diabetes. Breastfed babies tend to experience fewer ear, respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. Not to mention, breastfeeding creates a special bond between the mother and her child.As mothers ourselves, we were thrilled when the provision passed. However, entrenched in the industry, we were also able to anticipate the many challenges that exist in implementing this provision.
i like to take this moment to point out the intent and writing of ObamaCares is as adverised by the Progessives and those who have already engaged, the fact of republican obstruction is how the right wing misleads us about it's benefits,
lying and creating objections by their own "payed actors" they claim things like "it's an abomination", again i ask how can something that does so much for so many in regard to health be part of the vocabulary that claims abomination?
Challenges for Insurers
Although many insurance providers are doing their best to meet the demands of this new benefit for their members, there are some challenges. For example, due to the vague language in the Affordable Care Act around this benefit insurance plans can interpret how they provide it in a number of ways. Some are choosing to offer only a manual breastpump to every mother regardless of her situation. To complicate matters further many insurance plans do not recognize a certified lactation consultant, (IBCLC) as a professional who can offer breastfeeding support services as they do not have the credentials recognized to bill within the insurance ecosystem. These issues will get worked out eventually but in the meantime, it creates a frustrating and cumbersome process for new moms.
so can we blame Pres. or ACA for incompetence in the industry, there are agencies to handle this but not so if republicans get their deregulation bills through. or is this another republican manufactured crisis?
Obstacles for New Moms
When a new mother wants to obtain a breast pump, she calls her insurance provider to learn what exactly she qualifies for. Many customer-facing representatives within insurance plans are unclear on this benefit resulting in miscommunication to the mother. Does new mom pay out of pocket? Will the provider pay? Does the new mom submit the paperwork? With such undefined answers and confusion internally, a mother may call and hear one thing, only to call back and hear something completely different when she speaks to a different representative.Many new moms who try to take advantage of the Obamacare provision are given a list of durable medical equipment providers (DMEs) to call and find a breast pump. This could be as long as 10 to 100 contacts that may or may not offer breast pumps. The inefficient and roundabout process of obtaining a free breast pump has left many new moms frustrated and discouraged.
this is tantamount to the used car salesman trying to talk you out of buying the best value for you in favor of the higher priced plan that offers you less like what we had before ObamaCares.
