How to Order a Breast Pump Through Aetna Insurance
Since 1853, Aetna has been committed to providing individuals, employers, healthcare professionals, producers, and others with innovative benefits, products, and services. Throughout the years, their policies have developed to reflect the changing legalities involved in health care, life insurance, and essential coverage for their clients. As a leading insurance provider, Aetna works with their core values at heart. In conjunction with simple processes, focused care, and a connection to their clients, Aetna’s values include integrity, excellence, caring, and inspiration. To ensure comprehensive care, Aetna has expanded coverage for new and expecting mothers throughout the United States. They understand the challenges that come with bringing a baby into the world, especially when it comes to health and finances. In an effort to give every new mother the best opportunity to provide their children with essential nutrients, unbeatable bonding, and convenience, Aetna offers insurance covered breast pumps. If you’re expecting, here’s how to order an Aetna covered breast pump.
Breastfeeding Benefits for Baby and Mom
Breastfeeding is one of the best things that you can do for your newborn to encourage healthy development, build a strong immune system, and foster emotional bonding. It offers several benefits, both immediate and long-lasting, to baby and mom. Some of the most notable breastfeeding benefits for your baby include stronger immune systems, fewer infections, more effective immunizations, ongoing emotional security, enhanced bonding, and more. Some of the best breastfeeding benefits for moms include higher rates of self-confidence, stronger connections to their baby, more efficient postpartum weight loss, and more savings (when compared to buying formula).
While choosing to breastfeed your baby is a great option, it’s not the only way to provide your child with what they need. Breastfeeding is a choice and sometimes, not an option. While breast milk has key nutrients for your baby’s longevity, it’s important to honor other women’s choices. If you have decided not to breastfeed, or are unable to do so, there are plenty of ways for you to make sure your child has what they need to develop into a happy, healthy adult.
Why is Getting a Breast Pump Important?
If you do plan to breastfeed, getting a breast pump is the only way to make sure that your baby is going to be consuming breast milk exclusively. Without a breast pump, caregivers will have to rely on formula while you’re out or at work. Breast pumps also allow your partner to experience the bonding that’s achieved during nursing, without sacrificing their health.
Breast pumps are one of the best postpartum inventory items you can have. While most new mothers will breastfeed exclusively for the first few weeks, breast pumps give you the option to take a break and catch up on sleep. A breast pump allows you to provide your baby with essential nutrients and minerals regardless of where you are. Breast pumps are also great tools to increase your milk supply and avoid painful engorgement. You don’t need to breast pump every day but doing so allows you to store milk so that you have inventory in case of an emergency. Thankfully, because of the Affordable Care Act, Aetna insurance covered breast pumps are available to you with no out of pocket costs.
Information on the Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a health care reform law that was enacted in March 2010 in an effort to make affordable health care more available, expand the Medicaid program, and support innovative medical care methods. Within this expansion of benefits, law makers made it a legal requirement that health insurance providers must provide plans that cover breastfeeding support, counseling, and certain equipment throughout the duration of breastfeeding. These services can be provided both before and after birth. Breast pumps fall under the category of covered benefits as they’re considered durable medical equipment (DME) and facilitate the proven health benefits from breastmilk.
To comply with the Affordable Care Act, all insurance providers must offer some sort of coverage. However, that coverage varies and there are exceptions and limitations. Insurance policies for Aetna breast pump coverage differs depending on a few factors.
Aetna Insurance Policies and Coverage
Aetna insurance policies and coverage details differ from person to person and state to state. Always make sure that you discuss your coverage details with an Aetna representative to fully understand what your benefits include. Some of Aetna’s plans are not subject to the women’s preventative breastfeeding service requirements as stated under the Affordable Care Act, so it’s important not to assume. This primarily applies to grandfathered plans and certain self-funded plans, but always double check to be sure. You can reach a representative by calling the number on your Aetna member ID card and speaking with them directly. Luckily, for the most part, Aetna insurance covers breast pumps, lactation consultants, and even maternity compression garments.
Aetna Insurance Covered Breast Pumps
Everyone’s policy is different, and Aetna’s coverage depends on your individual member account. Through their mobile app or website, you can enter your information, secure your account, file claims, track your deductibles, pull up health history, and more. Always check your plan to see what breast pump providers you’re eligible to work with. Aetna breast pump coverage generally includes a standard electric pump while you are pregnant or throughout the duration of breastfeeding. This coverage does not include hospital-grade pumps unless extenuating circumstances are present. Hospital-grade breast pump rentals are covered by Aetna when medically necessary, such as when a baby needs to stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Aetna covered breast pumps can be obtained once every three years. Aetna also covers manual breast pumps once every three years. If you become pregnant before the three-year break, Aetna will cover another set of breast pump supplies for each pregnancy.
Lactation Consultants for Breastfeeding Support
Some women find that breastfeeding comes easy, but the majority of new mothers need some help. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, over 90% of women say that they have difficulty breastfeeding in those first few days. Luckily, lactation consultants are a great resource to help improve your latching techniques and to increase the success of breastfeeding. Many Aetna insurance plans cover up to six visits with a lactation consultant to help support your breastfeeding journey. Talk to your doctor about setting up a meeting before delivery so that you can be prepared. If you’re using a personal lactation consultant, plan to have them at the hospital after delivery to help with the initial latch.
Coverage for Maternity Compression Garments
Most Aetna insurance plans also cover maternity compression support garments. These help to provide varying levels of support, relief, and stabilization assistance during pregnancy and postpartum healing. Most Aetna plans cover compression socks and certain comprehensive coverage plans may include maternity bands or belly bands.
How to Order Your Aetna Insurance Covered Breast Pump Today
To receive an insurance covered breast pump through Aetna, a prescription from a medical professional is required. This is a common practice and is easy to obtain either directly or through the help of a medical supply company like Byram Healthcare. To make sure that you’re prepared for delivery day, we recommend that you begin looking for a breast pump early on in your pregnancy. There are a lot of different options on the market, and you’ll want to thoroughly research options that will fit your needs. Aetna insurance covered breast pumps can be obtained during pregnancy, giving you time to fully understand how to work them before your baby arrives.
Byram Healthcare offers an easy, three-step ordering process to receive your breast pump at no cost through Aetna. If everything goes smoothly and you have all the required documentation, Byram Healthcare will make sure that your breast pump is shipped and delivered within 4-7 business days following insurance processing. If you need to obtain a prescription, Byram can help with that during the order processing. Just make sure that you include the name of your primary care physician or OB/GYN.
Byram Healthcare is a proud partner of Aetna insurance. Our goal is to make the process of ordering an insurance covered breast pump as easy and straightforward as possible. To get started, simply browse our selection of breast pumps, and begin your order. If you have any insurance-related questions or concerns, contact your Aetna representative or live chat with one of our breast pump experts at Byram.
