August 1, 2019
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2016 Breastfeeding Report Card, over 80 percent of women in the U.S. initiate breastfeeding. However, less than 52% are still breastfeeding at 6 months. Even though the decision to breastfeed is a personal one, mothers still face many barriers such as lack of knowledge or social support, stigma, cost, lactation problems, employment and child care challenges, and barriers related to health practices.
We want to remove as many barriers as possible for our members. As part of women's preventive health coverage, most health plans now cover standard electric breast pumps and lactation counseling. If medically necessary, rental fees for hospital-grade breast pumps may be covered. A list of in-network breast pump providers for members is available on our website.
If your patient has questions about their plan-specific benefits, they can contact Premera customer service at the number on the back of their ID card or log in and email customer service.