Arizona bills aim to expand access to lactation care
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Chamber of Mothers Phoenix Gilbert Chapter co-facilitator Kelsey Glynn testifies at the state Capitol. Screenshot: Courtesy of Arizona Capitol Television
A pair of bills that would make it easier for new mothers to access lactation support services is making its way through the Arizona Legislature with bipartisan support.
Why it matters: Doctors often recommend that women see lactation consultants to help establish breastfeeding after birth. But the service, which is not covered by government insurance, is out of reach for some postpartum moms.
The big picture: State Rep. Lisa Fink (R-Glendale) introduced the two House bills that would:
- Add breastfeeding and lactation care services to the list of medically necessary offerings that Arizona's Medicaid contractors must cover;
- And create a state certification program so that lactation providers can submit for reimbursement through the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), the state's Medicaid agency.
The latest: Both bills passed unanimously in the House Health and Human Services Committee last week following powerful testimony from Chamber of Mothers, whose members shared firsthand accounts of how lactation support changed the trajectory of their postpartum experiences.
Flashback: Most private insurers began covering lactation care in 2012, but care consultants continued to get denials from AHCCCS, according to Jennie Bever, a lactation consultant, president and CEO of nonprofit 4th Trimester Arizona.
- About half of all births are paid for by AHCCCS, which means a staggering number of mothers lacked care, she said.
Between the lines: Lactation consultants provide important support for moms and babies, Bever told Axios.
- While the primary focus is breastfeeding, consultants are also the first line of defense against other health issues that may otherwise go undetected.
- Postpartum mothers typically see their OBs once or twice after birth, whereas they may see a consultant three or more times.
What they're saying: "It's so many more times that someone is talking to you, looking at you, listening to you, looking at your baby," she said. "Often lactation consultants are the first [ones] to find out from the mom that they're having mental health challenges."
Zoom in: Chamber of Mothers — a nonpartisan group advocating for paid family leave, affordable child care and maternal health — launched a Phoenix Gilbert chapter last year and has spent the past two legislative sessions advocating for measures like the lactation bills.
- "We help mothers unite around these initiatives to help improve the motherhood experience in America," Phoenix Gilbert chapter co-facilitator Kelsey Glynn told Axios.
What's next: Chamber of Mothers is also pushing a bill to continue funding for the Arizona Perinatal Psychiatry Access Line, which provides free pregnancy and postpartum mental health support.