ACA Question

[Quackers]

I have a question to anyone with experience or knowledge about the ACA. My wife and I found out last week that we're expecting a baby. Of course I'm digging in and trying to plan for everything ahead of time. Today's question is about breast pumps. While researching our options online, I stumbled across this on the ACA website:

Coverage of breast pumps

Your health insurance plan must cover the cost of a breast pump – and may offer to cover either a rental or a new one for you to keep.

Your plan may have guidelines on whether the covered pump is manual or electric, how long the coverage of a rented pump lasts, and when they’ll provide the pump (before or after you have the baby).

But it’s up to you and your doctor to decide what's right for you.

https://www.healthcare.gov/coverage/breast-feeding-benefits/

We live in Ohio and our current insurance is Caresource. Is Caresource required to follow the above provision in the ACA? Will Caresource cover the cost of a breast pump or will this have to be an out of pocket expense? Thanks!

[okaawhatever]

1. If you purchased the Caresource plan on the federal exchange then it's ACA compliant,

which means it will cover the breast pump. If you didn't purchase it on the exchange you need to find out if it's ACA compliant. Since it could be a grandfathered policy you'll want to verify that.

One good thing about the ACA is that there is more uniformity about policies and certain things have to be included. You may want to look up deductibles, though and see if a deductible applies.

[okaawhatever]

4. BTW if your wife goes back to work the ACA amended the Fair Labor Standards Act to

cover lactating moms. Most employers now need to provide both the breaks at work (unpaid) and a private place for a woman to pump (bathrooms not included) for one year.

The ACA has a lot of benefits that aren't about the insurance.

[Hoyt]

2. You can call the insurer. Also try manufacturer sites like the following:

http://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/insurance-pump-lookup/results?ProviderId=78&State=OH

Good luck.

[snacker]

3. Here's some info:

http://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/prevention/breast-pumps/

I know two young women who had babies in 2014 (one was my daughter), and both got breast pumps paid for through the ACA.