Obamacare or the Affordable Health Care Act was passed in the year 2010 and brought some positive news for expecting and new mothers. Under this bill, the majority of the providers of health insurance were required to cover breast pump expenses as part of the preventive health services for women.
 
While this was undoubtedly a big win for women seeking reproductive health benefits, it also created some confusion since it wasn’t clear as to which breast pumps were actually covered by the act. And now the confusion might become worse since there is a chance of Obamacare being repealed.
 
Provisions under Obamacare
Several insurance plans might require you to source your breast pump from a specific medical supply firm called Durable Medical Equipment or DME. DME suppliers report that health plans under Obamacare don’t dictate the type and brand of the breast pumps that needs to be supplied for free. Also, these insurance plans might be able to cover only a certain part of the pump cost. This means that if you’re looking to purchase a slightly fancier and more expensive breast pump, your plan may not be able to cover it completely. In such cases, a lot of patients may have to opt for an upgraded cover or shell out a fee to make up for the remaining cost on their own.
 
Under Obamacare, most insurance plans need to provide counseling, breastfeeding support as well as equipment during the time of breastfeeding. However, every insurance plan is slightly different. These rules may apply to private health insurance firms and marketplace plans, but some old plans continue to remain an exception. You will have to contact your insurance company or agency to know whether the breast pump cost is covered by your health insurance plan under the Affordable Care Act.
 
What if Obamacare is repealed?
With Donald Trump claiming to repeal the Affordable Care Act and replacing it almost instantaneously, one is a bit unsure about what is in store as far as women’s reproductive health is concerned. Under Obamacare, women could expect to get either a new breast pump to keep or rent a breast pump. There were different guidelines for deciding whether a manual or electric breast pump will be provided (cost of a new electric pump is around $400) or if the pump will be given after or before birth.
 
In case the current administration succeeds with repealing Obamacare, there is likely to be some uncertainty and anxiousness around this women’s healthcare provision, at least for a while. There is a possibility that insurance providers could go back to their old way of taking a decision as per the individual case and may demand prescriptions before they agree to cover the breast pump cost.
 
Hopefully, even if the Affordable Care Act is repealed under the current administration, health insurance companies may continue to provide coverage for breast pumps. Breast pumps are very important for women who are breastfeeding, particularly working mothers, as they need to be out for a considerable part of the day and the baby needs to be fed in their absence.