Big changes are coming for thousands of moms with Anthem Blue Cross benefits. Anthem has decided to cut the rates for breastfeeding support starting April 1, 2018. Many moms depend on quality breast pumps to care for their babies. They are planning to reduce breast pump coverage to $95. At that low rate, there is not a quality pump in existence that can extract milk or keep up a mother's milk supply.
Anthem and your employer need to hear from you. Make your voice heard online and contact your human resources representative. Below is a template letter to email directed to Anthem. How to submit:
Email the completed letter to Insurance@hh-bc.com for us to submit as a batch of letters (increases impact).
Or email the letter directly to Anthem using the contacts below.
Template Letter
To: Brian.Ternan [at] anthem.com
CC: Craig.Samitt [at] anthem.com
Brian Ternan
President, Commercial Operations
Anthem, Inc
21555 Oxnard Street
Woodland Hills, CA 91367
DELIVERED VIA EMAIL
As an employer based in California, we are writing to express concern about the announced rate drop that has just come to our attention for breast pumps. Our company has <<number of employees>> employees across <<number of state>> states and is headquartered in <<City>> <<Describe the relationship that you have with Anthem Blue Cross. Examples: Anthem Blue Cross manages our self-insured lives; Anthem Blue Cross is the PPO plan that we offer alongside an HMO plan, etc.>>
We have spent the last several years putting programs in place to attract and retain a highly skilled workforce. Our corporate lactation support is one of our most coveted programs for new and expecting parents. <<Describe the program. Examples: We offer rooms that are designed to give pumping mothers; classes to support not just mothers, but also fathers; and access to lactation support once the baby is born>>. Almost all of our employees take advantage of the pump benefit and typically acquire the pump before the baby is even born. Our employees expect quality pumps that will support them for at least a year so that they can return to work.
Of all the items that drive up health care costs, it seems unthinkable that cheaper breast pumps will return any meaningful savings to the premiums that we pay. Instead, this decision by Anthem Blue Cross has the potential to undermine the advances we have made in our lactation programs.
We respectfully request that you take our perspective into account and reconsider this rate decrease for electric breast pumps.
Thank you,
<<You Name & Job Title>>
CC: Craig Samitt, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical/Clinical Officer
