Is there a fee for the services at MilkWorks?

Services that are available free of charge include:
> Our Mom Talk mothers’ breastfeeding groups and our Food Intolerance Support Groups,
> Drop In Weight Checks,
> Questions regarding basic information about breastfeeding,
> Educational sessions for nursing and dietetic students and family practice residents,
> Presentations at high school classes and social service agencies,
> Our annual You Can Do It:  Return to Work and Breastfeed Your Baby workshop, and
> Consultations at our Outreach Clinics (the WIC / Young Family’s Program and the People’s Health Center).

Services that have a fee include:
> Our Breastfeeding 101 class series,
> Personalized lactation services, including our Lactation Care Package and appointments with our Breastfeeding Medicine Specialist, Dr. Kathy Leeper,
> Hospital grade pump and scale rentals,
> Breastfeeding supplies, and
> Gifts from our Baby Shop.
If at any time our fees should create a hardship for you, please let us know.  We do not deny consultation services based upon ability to pay.

Does insurance cover a consultation?
If you see a Lactation Consultant, the answer is usually no.  We encourage you to check with your insurance company, and if they do cover lactation assistance, we will provide you with a form to submit.  However, we do not submit claims directly for services with our Lactation Consultants.
If you see Dr. Leeper, our Breastfeeding Medicine Specialist, we will submit a claim for you.  If you have a co-pay, we will ask that you pay it at the time of your visit.  Depending upon your insurance plan and your deductible, your appointment may or may not be covered.  If insurance does not pay for your visit with Dr. Leeper, we will bill you for the balance.
Medicaid does not cover lactation assistance.  As a result, we have chosen to waive fess for mothers or babies who are on Medicaid.

Will insurance cover a breast pump or scale rental?
Nebraska Medicaid will cover the rental of a breast pump with a physician’s prescription.  Most insurance companies will not cover the rental of a pump or a scale.  We encourage you to check with your insurance plan for additional information.

Why do we offer reduced fees for mothers or babies who receive Medicaid assistance?
Most low income babies are seen by Family Practitioners rather than Pediatricians.  While some Pediatric offices have lactation help, no Family Practice offices do.  As a result, the only way that mothers on Medicaid can get help is from MilkWorks.  We seek grants and donations in order to provide this service.  Both of our Outreach Clinics, which serve low income women, are funded by local agencies or foundations.
However, even moms who pay for lactation services do not cover the cost of a consult.  It costs us an average of $150 to provide lactation care to an individual mom and her baby.  Our current fee is $105.

Why do we charge a flat fee for Lactation care?
Some mothers and babies require only a visit or two and their issues are resolved.  Other moms and babies must return for numerous visits.  When we charge a mom one fee at the start, we hope that it avoids the unknown for a mom.  She does not have to worry whether her concerns will be solved quickly…or if they will take a while to resolve.  This system has worked well for both the moms we serve and our Lactation Consultants, who do not hesitate to have a mom return if she needs more help.

Why is MilkWorks a Non-Profit Organization and what does that mean?
From its start, MilkWorks has been committed to helping all women breastfeed their babies, regardless of a woman’s financial resources.  However, because Medicaid does not pay for lactation assistance, this means that we must seek grants and donations in order to provide these services.  The only way that we can seek tax deductible donations is if we are incorporated as a non-profit 501 C3 organization.  This means that we do not pay income taxes, we must have a Board of Directors and no one may profit financially from what we do.
This does not mean that our employees do not earn a salary.  It only means that we may not pay unreasonable salaries or bonuses.  Any profit after we pay rent, insurance, office and medical supplies, promotional materials and utilities must be put back into the organization. 

What are the Most Common Reasons that Moms seek Lactation Help?

Our Lactation Consultants commonly see:
> Sleepy babies who remove milk poorly and do not gain weight well.  Often these babies are a few weeks early, although they may also be full term.
> Moms with a low milk supply, usually the result of poor removal by baby.
> Babies who do not latch deeply, thus causing a mom to have sore nipples.
> Babies who refuse to latch once mom’s milk comes in.

Dr. Leeper commonly sees:
> Moms who for some reason are experiencing chronic nipples or breast pain.
> Babies with tongue ties.
> Premature babies.
> Babies with food sensitivities.
> Fussy babies.
> Older babies who are not gaining weight well.
> Moms or babies with unique medical concerns.
> Moms who are adopting a baby and want to breastfeed.

Why does Breastfeeding sometimes hurt?

The most common reasons are:
> a baby who does not  latch deeply,
> a baby with a tight frenulum (a piece of skin underneath the tongue), or
> a baby that exerts high pressure when suckling.


What are the most common reasons for a low milk supply?

> poor or infrequent removal of milk from the breasts,
> use of medications that interfere with the making of milk,
> breast surgery (usually a reduction),
> decreased or insufficient glandular tissue, or
> anxiety related to the production of milk.