Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, enacted in 2010, thousands upon thousands of women across the United States are getting their breast pump shipped right to their front door for free.  The Affordable Care Act ensures that most insurance plans cover breastfeeding supplies and support at little or no cost.  As mentioned, the Act was passed in 2010 but most insurance plans did not actually implement it until after August 1, 2012.  While that means that insurance companies have been paying for breast pumps for over 3 years now, we still have mothers who call in daily who are just hearing about this awesome benefit.

BCBS of South Carolina

With the Aeroflow Breastpump headquarters sitting in North Carolina, it is no surprise that a ton of our mommies come from within North Carolina and surrounding states, including South Carolina. The most common insurance companies that we see with mothers residing in South Carolina include Aetna, United Healthcare, Advicare and the insurance that we will discuss today, Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina (keep in mind that the above insurances are not the only insurance companies we work with; there are just too many to list!).

Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina, BCBS of SC, is a private insurance company that offers many essential benefits to its members including breastfeeding support.  One thing to keep in mind when reading this is that there are several types of insurance plans within BCBS of SC and everyone’s plan and benefits are different.  When checking benefits of a patient who has Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina, the first thing we need to check is to see if the particular plan is considered “grandfathered” or not.

"Grandfathered" Insurance Plans

A “grandfathered” plan is one in which it does not follow health care reform that was established by the Affordable Care Act. “Grandfathered” plans do not cover preventive services such as breastfeeding support, which includes supplies and counseling.  If your plan is non-“grandfathered” then the plan will in most cases offer preventive service benefits without you or family paying a dime.

 While many BCBS of SC plans will pay for a double electric breast pump, it is important to keep in mind that they do not pay for replacement supplies or extra milk storage containers. They are not considered “medically necessary” so they will not be provided without paying a price.

Ready to see if your BCBS of SC insurance plan covers a free double electric breast pump?

 Aeroflow Breastpumps can quickly and easily help you qualify for your free breast pump.  The best way to get started is heading over to our Qualify Through Insurance form on our website.  Once you complete the easy 3 step online form, a Breastpump Specialist will call your insurance provider to see if breast pumps are covered under your plan.  They will then contact you to discuss the coverage information.  It is that simple and it is FREE to find out if your insurance will cover one!

If you have questions regarding your BCBS of SC insurance policy or qualifying for your breast pump, give us a call directly at (844) 867-9890. We look forward to assisting you!