Are you a breastfeeding mom? Do you have medical insurance? If you answered yes to these two questions, then you probably qualify for a free breast pump! Wha-what?! Yes, that’s right, mamas–you can get a breast pump for FREE.

A couple of months ago a friend of mine enlightened me to the fact that, under Obamacare, breast pumps are now covered by virtually all medical insurance plans. There are mountains of research that point to the benefits of breastfeeding, so it is encouraging that women everywhere can now have access to breast pumps. I think this is a huge win for moms!

Since I am still nursing my 9-month old, I thought I would look into this whole “free breast pump” thing for myself. Every insurance company is a bit different in how they process the breast pump claims, so you’ll want to call them to see what their policy is.

Under my insurance plan, I am allowed one breast pump per baby. I had to place my order through their selected medical supply company and give them my doctor’s contact information. Then, 2 days later, I got a phone call from my doctor to confirm that I was still breastfeeding and wanted the pump. She had to “prescribe” the breast pump, so she had to verify that the pump was medically necessary. There are dozens of reasons that your pump may be medically necessary, including difficulty nursing, sore nipples, or you being separated from your baby (like if you’re returning to work or going on a long trip). I found this website useful because it lists all of the ICD-9 codes that the insurance companies will accept for breast pump coverage.

After I spoke with my doctor she submitted my “prescription” to my insurance company and the next day FedEx delivered a brand new top-of-the-line breast pump to my house. My cost: $0.

With my insurance plan I was not able to select which pump I’d receive–I just got the pump they had pre-selected (the Ameda Purely Yours double electric breast pump, the same one as in the photo at the beginning of this post). My friend who had originally told me about insurance-covered pumps, however, was able to select any pump she wanted from a breastfeeding supply store.

It really was an easy process, so I would highly encourage any other breastfeeding moms (or soon-to-be moms!) to look into what your insurance will cover. I haven’t gotten a chance to use my new pump yet but I’m looking forward to giving it a try soon!