Anthem is cutting support for breast pumps nearly in half, angering breastfeeding advocates
The insurer will pay suppliers about 45 percent less for each pump, dropping from
Anthem spokesman
But breastfeeding advocates and medical professionals worry the change could lead women to give up breastfeeding in a society that can already make it a difficult practice to sustain, especially if their electric pumps' motors break down or if better pumps must be bought out of pocket.
"The people it affects are the mother and the baby," said
The government started requiring insurers to provide one breast pump at no additional cost to new mothers in 2010 under the Affordable Care Act.
The legislation "may have helped more women in
Some health insurers reimburse patients for the pumps directly. Under Anthem, at least locally, women choose a pump from a small selection provided by a supplier.
Anthem plans to cut the maximum amount it reimburses that supplier to
In a letter responding to advocates' concerns,
But Dr.
"They're not going to be available at that price point," Thomas said. "There are real consequences to this."
Several medical equipment suppliers that work with Anthem did not return requests for comment.
Dr.
Any cut to breast pumps will hurt low-income households and working families the most, she said.
"In the end it's going to affect many women, but I think you have to look at our most vulnerable population," Sriraman said. "There's already so many barriers (to breastfeeding) as it is."
The
But about 60 percent of mothers don't breastfeed for as long as they intend to, according to the
Hockensmith, who has a 3-year-old and a 7-month-old and works as a science teacher at
She'll usually get about 15 minutes to pump at work, "if I'm lucky. Time is something else against me in this breastfeeding relationship."
Factor in a pump with a faulty motor that works much more slowly, or runs down after just a few months, and an exhausted mother can easily give up breastfeeding, Hockensmith said. It "starts this vicious cycle of needing to repurchase or get parts for a subpar pump. You do get what you pay for.
"This is a new facet that people who give breastfeeding support will have to consider."
Advocates also argue avoiding health risks by breastfeeding ultimately saves insurers more money than cuts to equipment.
"It's very shortsighted on an insurance company's part," Sriraman said. "This is preventive medicine. ... It's interesting to me as a pediatrician and mother that you're cutting off what's essential for mothers and babies at the beginning of their life."
A pediatric cost analysis by Harvard researchers concluded that if 90 percent of families could comply with guidelines to breastfeed for six months,
Breastfeeding "is not where you save money. This isn't a line item on your budget," Thomas said. "These are real people who need real support. If the insurance company doesn't provide that, there's a ripple effect of consequences."
"Quality, accessibility and affordability were important components in making this decision to ensure Anthem's members will continue to receive high quality, affordable care. With that in mind and high confidence that quality affordable care remains intact, we respectfully decline the request that Anthem reverse" the decision.
Anthem spokesman Golden said in an email the insurer "recognizes the positive health benefits that breastfeeding can have on mothers and their newborns."
The company works with contracted suppliers to "make sure they have access to high-quality (pumps) that are also affordable," he said.
At least 580,000 people in
Walker, who serves on the
"My concern is that mothers are going to receive pumps that are not effective for what they need," she said. "That puts her milk production at risk and then the baby at risk. ... We keep telling mothers to breastfeed and then make it harder for them to do so."
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