Fed Blue Cross/Blue Shield Insurance Only: Ameda 17070p Dual Electric Breast Pump for Free

vickh said:   wish other insurance companies follow suit... We have Aetna benefit options (AZ state employee)

It should be for all insurance companies. Contact your company for details about getting a breast pump, you will likely need a prescription, but should be able to get something for free. It's part of Obamacare and took effect in August, but most plans don't start covering stuff until after the plan renews, which for most plans was January.

Also don't know how good Ameda is, we've been using Medella Symphony (rental, hospital grade). A bit scared to go to anything else, we've had the phillips avent, and it was really bad.

It was free for us in PA with Aetna... Bought Medela electric pump for $250 and it was reimbursed 100%.

sweet, I love having my tax dollars go to pay for others health benefits, especially federal employees. if i don't plan on having kids or even if i do, would should i have to help someone else with this expense? it's not like it is absolute necessary item to feed your child, only a convenience.

i assume the free pump only applies to women who are covered by insurance. anything free for men?

unleded said:   
Wrong. This is not just for Feds, it's part of the health care law and all insurance companies are supposed to provide pumps, rented or bought outright for all insured. And I certainly hope the money I put into the health insurance pool doesn't go towards your Viagra...last thing we need are more like you coming into the world.

doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. Do you like putting your money towards other peoples health problems? neither do I. $250 for a pump! perhaps if the cost of the item was reasonable, rather than overly inflated in which the gov't just writes a check for without batting an eye.

Who said I needed Viagra? (i'd rather not procreate anyway if the world is going to be one big communist nation in which no one feels responsible for their own lives) Only thing i need is insulin & glucose test strips, and it would be nice if they were at a decent price as well, but they are inflated too. Same insulin made in Turkey costs ~$26, ~$55 from Canada, but over $100 in the US. What is keeping the price from a reasonable level, ahh yes, insurance.

Perhaps rather than having others pay for your needs, take care of them yourself, and if the cost is outrageous, start protesting regarding that device or item to the company that makes it. I'm sure if there are enough that need it, the cost will come down, without the need of insurance.

unleded said:   

mmmmm...sweet sweet delicious irony...

yes, we all have medical needs. my point is take responsibility and pay for them your self. if you can't afford the pump but think it's absolutely necessary to properly raise a child, then don't have a kid. im sure they will be fine without a pump, most of the world has survived without this device.

i also am against tax credit for children if you are wondering. there is no good reason i should pay more, for not having kids. your child, your cost. otherwise, i want to have input on how the child is raised if my money is being divided up to cover them. does that sound reasonable? probably not, but it does seem fair

In the old days, women could afford to stay home and nurse as needed. Now, in order to pay for higher insurance premiums, many women must enter the workforce, and get a breast pump.

</irony>

Hey, I pay insurance premiums out of my own pocket so I'm taking advantage of every single perk that's available. And how do you know that this pump isn't necessary for certain women? You certainly are sitting righteous on your high horse eh?

And back to the post: I didn't need to provide a prescription to BC/BS for ours.