Breast pumps questions...opinions needed

[lulu66]

a little background: I am due w/my first on Dec 4th; planning to breastfeed. I will be off work until well into the new year.

my insurance (BCBS FEP) begins to cover breast pump purchases on Jan 1st (an Ameda Double Electric pump kit w/150 bags every 90 days). can i hold out on an electric pump for a month? if so, what can/should i use in the interim? i'm so clueless but hate to put $200-$300 out of pocket if i can make it until the new benefits kick in.

 

[enbcfsobe]

lulu -- i am in a similar situation. i am due on 11/30 and not going back to work until May or June. i am still waiting for blue cross to give me a straight answer about whether this 'ameda double electric pump kit' means the purely yours (which seems to get really good reviews) or some other unknown (potentially crappy) double-electric ameda pump. assuming i can confirm that it covers the purely yours, what i decided was to wait to buy a pump until after 1/1 so the insurance will pay. my birth teacher said that she wouldn't recommend staring pumping until 4-6 weeks anyway unless there is a problem with bf-ing. if i am early or need a pump in the interim to boost supply or for another reason, i plan to rent a hospital pump for just the few weeks i need it. even with having to buy the tubing its still a lot cheaper than buying an ameda or medela pump kit (total of somewhere like $75-125 rather than $200-300). plus the bulkiness won't be a big deal because i'll be at home. that's just my plan as of right now -- i'm interested to hear what folks say.

ETA -- pretty unbelievable that as feds we have what seems to be a rather narrow version of the required coverage given the cost of fepblue.

 

[Puppmom]

Lulu, odd that your insurance company covers a specific pump. Mine just pays $250 or $300 (can't remember) toward a pump. You can absolutely go without a pump until the new year. I didn't start pumping until I had to *practice* for returning to work (so maybe 8 or 10 weeks). In 4 weeks, you will just barely be able to tell if nursing is working for you - ie. supply, latch etc. so I certainly wouldn't spend the money on a pump in advance.

If, for some reason, you have issues and have to pump before then renting is a great option.

 

[lliang_chi]

lulu, enbc, Rent a hospital pump for the first month or two. Then get your insurance company to cover the pump. THe hospital pump is also GREAT to help you establish your supply because it's like a super sucker.

TBH, I found pumping as the best way to establish my supply those first few weeks. In the very beginning, Ethan wouldn't nurse so the only way I could keep BFing going was to feed him expressed BM. He didn't get hte hang of nursing until 6 wks old. Sometimes it can take that long. But you might be lucky and get a champ nurser from the start. Regardless, I think renting a pump is a great way to go. Where I delivered, the rental was something like $30/month. I highly suggest you do this.

~LC

ETA for clarity and spelling

 

[Skippy123]

lulu, enbc, Rent a hospital pump for the first month or two. Then get your insurance company to cover the pump. THe hospital pump is also GREAT to help you establish your supply because it's like a super sucker.

TBH, I found pumping as the best way to establish my supply those first few weeks. In the very beginning, Ethan wouldn't nurse so the only way I could keep BFing going was to feed him expressed BM. He didn't get hte hang of nursing until 6 wks old. Sometimes it can take that long. But you might be lucky and get a champ nurser from the start. Regardless, I think renting a pump is a great way to go. Where I delivered, the rental was something like $30/month. I highly suggest you do this.

~LC

ETA for clarity and spelling

that is a great idea on renting the hospital pump. I rented one too.

 

[Loves Vintage]

I would absolutely suggest planning to rent a hospital grade pump, as LC mentioned. For convenience purposes, some medical supply places rent them out too, so it might be a good idea to call around to see who offers them. It might be easier to get one from a local place as opposed to going back to the hospital (depending on how easy it is to get in and out of your hosp.)

 

[lulu66]

so, it seems the general consensus is to rent a pump from the hospital for that first month. i know our hospital offers pump rentals; i vaguely remember reading the pricing on a handout i got along the way & thought it was a *little* pricey (closer to $100/mo.) but i will be calling them monday to find out for sure!

 

[amc80]

so, it seems the general consensus is to rent a pump from the hospital for that first month. i know our hospital offers pump rentals; i vaguely remember reading the pricing on a handout i got along the way & thought it was a *little* pricey (closer to $100/mo.) but i will be calling them monday to find out for sure!

That seems high. Ours rents weekly and I think it came to about $30-40 a month.

 

[tiffanytwisted]

I rented one from Walgreens, it was $30 something a month.

 

[lulu66]

I rented one from Walgreens, it was $30 something a month.

I wouldn't have thought to call & inquire at the pharmacy. thanks for the lead

 

[enbcfsobe]

lulu, the initial cost of rental is a bit more than the monthly fee b/c you have to purchase the tubing, etc (which should never be shared). but the monthly rental should be under $50. hopefully now that open season is officially "open" bcbs can figure out what pump is coming with their "kits".

 

[lulu66]

well, my hospital's lactation center rents their breast pumps for $25/wk or $85/mo. the consultant said that the kit (tubing, etc) is $20 but if you request it in the hospital the kit would be covered under insurance. $85/mo seems a little pricey but still cheaper than purchasing one so i guess this is the route i will go.

 

[Logan Sapphire]

well, my hospital's lactation center rents their breast pumps for $25/wk or $85/mo. the consultant said that the kit (tubing, etc) is $20 but if you request it in the hospital the kit would be covered under insurance. $85/mo seems a little pricey but still cheaper than purchasing one so i guess this is the route i will go.

Do you have any local breastfeeding centers that would also rent pumps? Like others said, I would definitely rent a pump first, not only to better establish supply, but if nursing doesn't work out, you won't have wasted money on buying a pump.

 

[enbcfsobe]

maybe I'm just optimistic, but I am only planning on renting in the gap between birth and the new plan year IF i actually have supply issues. it is my understanding that not everyone needs to use the pump immediately to establish supply, though it is very helpful if you do experience issues. i'm only 2 blocks from the hospital so if i need to send DH to get a rental pump its not a big deal. i'm sure if i lived remotely from the hospital i'd think differently. just my 2 cents.

lulu i would contact cvs caremark -- they are supposed to be getting more info on the pump situation now that open season has started -- and ask about how long it would take to receive the covered pump and what you have to do to get one (just place an order? get a prescription?). i'm going to try them again today since the durable medical equipment people said they aren't handling anything to do with pump coverage under the new plan, so if i find out something i'll let you know. having a timerframe on when you'd actually have your own pump in hand might give you a better sense of how long you may need to rent.

 

[enbcfsobe]

lulu -- i finally got some answers about the coverage. here's what i found out.
-CVS Caremark confirmed that it is the Purely Yours that is covered for the double electric pump kit
-you don't need an Rx to order one
-you can order one beginning on December 15, 2012; processing takes approx 14 days and pumps will ship after 1/1/13
-you can order by phone by calling the FEP/Caremark number that is in the plan description
I hope this is helpful!!

 

[qtiekiki]

I am surprised that everyone suggested renting a hospital pump. I didn't even use a pump until I went back to work at 4 months. I mean sure you should get one to pump if you need to be away from your baby, but you don't need one if you don't have issue with latching and/or other issues. Your best bet is to have your baby on your boobs as much as possible.

 

[lulu66]

lulu -- i finally got some answers about the coverage. here's what i found out.
-CVS Caremark confirmed that it is the Purely Yours that is covered for the double electric pump kit
-you don't need an Rx to order one
-you can order one beginning on December 15, 2012; processing takes approx 14 days and pumps will ship after 1/1/13
-you can order by phone by calling the FEP/Caremark number that is in the plan description
I hope this is helpful!!

thanks for the info, enbcfsobe!! I have a question re: the ordering date, the bcbs rep I spoke to said that my order should take place after the first pay period of the new year has closed in order to be covered. that seems to contradict w/the ability to order on dec 15th, right?

also, just another general bcbs fep question, we've pre-registered at the hospital. when I spoke w/the bcbs rep she said my hospital charges would be covered 100%; then today the hospital told me I have a $150 admission co-pay. any thoughts? I'll be calling bcbs tomorrow anyway, i think.

 

[amc80]

I am surprised that everyone suggested renting a hospital pump. I didn't even use a pump until I went back to work at 4 months. I mean sure you should get one to pump if you need to be away from your baby, but you don't need one if you don't have issue with latching and/or other issues. Your best bet is to have your baby on your boobs as much as possible.

I didn't need a pump, but I sure liked using it. I just didn't enjoy nursing at all. I started pumping around 2-3 weeks in order to have a bit of a break (the kid took a long time to nurse, so a bottle was much faster). By 8 weeks or so I was exclusively pumping, and still am now.

 

[enbcfsobe]

lulu -- that's interesting (but unfortunately not surprising) that bcbs is giving conflicting info from Caremark, but Caremark is telling me they got their info from bcbs (i specifically spoke to someone from the fep pharmacy dept). that would suck to wait until the first pay period of 2013 closes since the last PP of 2012 doesn't even close until Jan 12 (at least for our agency -- for some reason it is a 27-pp year). That seems wrong -- basically they'd be saying that yes, there's a new plan year but haha -- you can't get any of those benefits for the entire first month. I will check with BCBS and see what they tell me but they had no info at all about pumps when i talked to them earlier this week. i wish i could say there was someone in HR/benefits to ask, but there just isn't anyone who i would rely on for something like this. maybe you have better support for that in your agency.

with respect to your hospital coverage I would follow up again with BCBS because it looks like it should be covered 100% with no copays. i sent in my admission form also but did not get anything indicating there was a copay. then again my hospital has perhaps the slowest billing system i've ever dealt with, so there may be some issues to work out later. good luck!!

also just to be clear, info about insurance coverage is plan specific -- lulu and i just happen to have the same plan, but others should not rely on this info for their coverage (that's my bit of legal disclaimer for today!).

 

[stephbolt]

I am surprised that everyone suggested renting a hospital pump. I didn't even use a pump until I went back to work at 4 months. I mean sure you should get one to pump if you need to be away from your baby, but you don't need one if you don't have issue with latching and/or other issues. Your best bet is to have your baby on your boobs as much as possible.

Ditto, I bought a pump at 3 weeks post-partum, and only because they were on sale that weekend. I rarely used it (maybe 1x a week) until I went back to work. I did use a hand pump to relieve engorgement in the first few weeks and to get enough for a bottle if I wanted to slip out for a few hours. Since I had no latch/pain issues and had a great supply, nursing was much easier for me than pumping and washing all the pump parts and bottles.

 

[lulu66]

enbcfsobe re: hospital stay co-pay: it does appear from reviewing the summary of benefits, the $150 co-pay is correct in my situation. (we are under the basic option, which requires the co-pay; the standard option has $0 co-pay & 100% coverage.). our hospital's billing system is very slow too. we pre-registered 3-4 weeks ago & were told to expect a financial statement the following week. since I hadn't received it, I followed up in person at the hospital this week & sat there while she completed my file. the crazy thing is the hospital expects you to pay all balances before admittance...could be a little hairy for people who's coverage isn't that great & are only getting their balances right before baby arrives!

re: breast pump: I think I'll request the tube kit before discharge but hold off on the actual rental unless I feel that it is necessary for me in those first few weeks. i do plan to inquire w/the bcbs rep again re: the date that the order can be placed. when I do, of course, I'll update here as to what they tell me. thanks for all the help, enbcfsobe & everyone else!

 

[enbcfsobe]

lulu -- thanks for clarifying. we are under the standard option (well, I say we, but DH is also a fed and we have separate bcbs policies b/c its cheaper and will need to switch to self and family on one and drop the other -- its all rather confusing). i should check to see if there is something more general under "hospitalization" rather than just looking at maternity care. they are so sneaky like that. thanks for raising this question and let me know what you find out. best of luck!!

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Man you guys had me excited. I have BCBS but a state employees health plan, and I knew pumps previously weren't covered, but I went to see if it happened to change for 2013. No such luck - our benefits book clearly states the pumps are not covered, no additional text. Boo.

This is good advice though from women about the pumps and renting, etc. I had been thinking I would just try to get one ahead of time and hope all goes well - I like the idea of renting first and making sure everything goes properly, then getting one - just stinks that I'd have to go find one and pay for it then. Darnit!

 

[qtiekiki]

Man you guys had me excited. I have BCBS but a state employees health plan, and I knew pumps previously weren't covered, but I went to see if it happened to change for 2013. No such luck - our benefits book clearly states the pumps are not covered, no additional text. Boo.

This is good advice though from women about the pumps and renting, etc. I had been thinking I would just try to get one ahead of time and hope all goes well - I like the idea of renting first and making sure everything goes properly, then getting one - just stinks that I'd have to go find one and pay for it then. Darnit!

Buying one in advance is fine. Just don't open it and break the security tape, so you can return it if you don't need/want it.

 

[enbcfsobe]

LTS -- i thought that under the new health care law there has to be some coverage for breast pumps in the plan year starting after August 2012. i don't think there's any exception for state employee plans, but i'm no expert. i'd try asking bcbs and/or your HR dept.

 

[amc80]

LTS -- i thought that under the new health care law there has to be some coverage for breast pumps in the plan year starting after August 2012. i don't think there's any exception for state employee plans, but i'm no expert. i'd try asking bcbs and/or your HR dept.

Correct. They have to come some portion of it. Keep in mind that the coverage won't start until your plan renews. So if your plan year starts July 1, it won't kick in until then.

 

[lizzyann]

You don't generally pump the first couple of weeks and you could totally use the hand pump until your new pump will be covered. For my ds#1, I rented and loved the hospital grade one. For ds#2 I bought one after making sure that nursing was working out for us. I recommend waiting to be sure nursing works out before buying. Good luck!

 

[Haven]

I called my insurance provider (BCBS) after reading about breast pump coverage in this thread, and the rep told me that my plan renews 1/1/14, so the pump won't be covered until then.

HOWEVER, she also told me that my policy may change 1/1/13 if we opt to change it. So now I'm confused--isn't my plan renewing 1/1/13 if that is when we can change policies? Anyone have any insight?

ETA: Never mind! I called back and spoke to someone else who said the plan renews 1/1/13, and as long as I get a prescription for the pump it will be covered 100%. The first rep was incorrect.

 

[Mrs.W 514]

I am surprised that everyone suggested renting a hospital pump. I didn't even use a pump until I went back to work at 4 months. I mean sure you should get one to pump if you need to be away from your baby, but you don't need one if you don't have issue with latching and/or other issues. Your best bet is to have your baby on your boobs as much as possible.

This is what I think as well. No pump is as efficient as a well latched baby and if you aren't going back to work for a few months there is no reason to pump right away. My LO is three weeks old and I have only pumped a few times just to get enough milk so my Mom or DH can watch the baby while I take my finals...

 

[lulu66]

enbcfsobe[/] i do plan to inquire w/the bcbs rep again re: the date that the order can be placed. when I do, of course, I'll update here as to what they tell me. thanks for all the help, enbcfsobe & everyone else!

okay, baby's here now & I just got off the phone w/bcbs & cvs Caremark. after getting yet another set of answers from the bcbs rep (this one told me that I would need a prescription, which I did not think was nessecary for bcbs fep from previous convoys w/reps, here, & online research), I called cvs. their bcbs fep rep assured my no prescription is needed, orders can be placed dec 15th but won't be shipped until jan 1st, and I have the choice of 2 pumps (one being the ameda purely yours).

I did not end up renting the hospital pump but did request the tube kit while still admitted (so insurance can pick up that cost) in case I need it. I don't foresee any real need for the pump until after the new year at this point. thanks for all your help, everyone!

enbcfsobe is your little one here? are you just waiting to order too or did you rent a hospital pump?