Getting the Breast Pump She Deserves: My Sister’s Story

When my sister Leah found out she was pregnant with her second child, she knew that she wanted to breast feed the new baby for a year. She planned to go back to work when her daughter was only 4 months old, so she needed a breast pump. In December of 2012, she called her insurance company to find out what kind of coverage the company would provide. During that first call, Leah was given the run around. Everyone she spoke to told her it was not their responsibility to cover her breast pump, she should call someone else. After several useless calls, Leah gave up.

Six months later I started an internship at the National Women’s Law Center. I learned that the health care law requires insurance companies to provide coverage of breast pumps for women without co-pays or deductibles. However, my sister, like many women, still didn’t know about this part of the law, so I decided to give her a call. We talked through her situation and I directed her to some NWLC resources, including the NLWC toolkit, that could help her get the coverage she deserves.

Armed with the relevant information, she called her insurance company back ready to fight, if need be, for the coverage guaranteed her by law. Rather than giving her the run around, the insurance company assured Leah that they now cover breast pumps. They directed her to in-network medical supply stores in the area where she could buy a pump. When none of the stores had what she needed, the insurance company worked with her to find her another supplier.

In the end, the insurance company arranged to have a national store mail Leah the breast pump, and it arrived a week later. Because of the requirements of the Affordable Care Act, Leah’s insurance company covered a great electric breast pump on the market, at no additional cost to her.

There are many women like Leah who do not yet know how much the health care law helps them. Most plans are now required to provide coverage of certain preventive services, like Leah’s breast pump, well-woman visits, and contraceptives. Unfortunately, many women still pay out of pocket for a breast pump or don’t question when they are forced to pay co-pays for a well-woman visit or contraceptives. The health care law is helping women, and now it’s time for women to make sure they are getting the coverage they deserve, just like my sister did.