We have just two days to show MA legislators how important clinical breastfeeding care is to the families they represent. On Monday the Joint Comm. on Public Health will hear testimony on House Bill H3795 and Senate Bill S1442 to license IBCLC Lactation Consultants in MA. .  Please sign the petition and ask friends, colleagues, and especially parents to sign as well. And please share your experience seeking lactation care for yourself or those you work with in the comments below. The comments will be shared with legislators and become written testimony submitted in support of the Bills. Please help families be heard on this issue. 

House 3795 and Senate 1442 are companion bills to license International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs). Passage of these bills will remove a major barrier to families accessing lactation care under the Affordable Care Act. Medicaid/Mass Health and many private insurers require that in network providers be licensed by the state. 

Every day in Massachusetts, on average, 139 mothers give up on breastfeeding and are unable to meet their own breastfeeding goals – often due to the inability to access the clinical care of an IBCLC Lactation Consultant. At present there is no Allied Health Provider specializing in Lactation licensed in the state of Massachusetts. As a result families attempting to access Lactation Services they are entitled to at no cost under the ACA's Women's Preventive Services provision find it difficult or impossible to access clinical lactation care that is covered by their health plans. While some mothers can afford to pay out of pocket, there are many who cannot access the lactation care they need, particularly mothers who are insured by Medicaid plans such as MassHealth. 

In the face of a pandemic the importance of access to lactation support that enables babies to receive the benefits of human milk is made clear. Antibodies to Covid-19 are present in breast milk after mother's exposure to the virus and to the vaccine. Disparities in access to care have widened making it even harder for vulnerable populations to access care, especially lactation care because of the current barriers.  

Please sign today to support Massachusetts House Bill H3795 and Senate Bill S1442 - companion bills to license IBCLC Lactation Consultants in MA. In the comments section please include your city or town (or if you prefer include "Constituent of... and list your state rep and senator's names) and the communities where you work, if applicable, and share how you or families you know have been impacted by challenges accessing breastfeeding support here in MA and why you value access to lactation care for breastfeeding families in MA. The petition and comments will be presented to the Joint Committee on Public Health as they accept public testimony on the bills in the coming days so please sign today.   

This article describes the challenges so many families experience: https://www.salon.com/2019/08/24/wriggling-around-law-insurers-deny-coverage-for-breastfeeding-help_partner/   Insurers, without a definition of lactation consultant conferred by the state, have in some cases limited care to licensed providers such as doctors and nurse practitioners, regardless of their expertise or availability to deliver lactation specific care. Most require families to pay out pocket for services the ACA provisions specify be provided without cost. Some will reimburse, placing the burden to complete insurance forms and wait for reimbursement on new families struggling to feed their babies and make ends meet while on unpaid leave. The results are families denied access or struggling to pay for care they are entitled to. Many forego or delay care resulting in health impacts to mother and baby.

These companion bills would license International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) in MA. Licensure of IBCLCs will protect the public interest by assuring a consistent standard of care, and it will allow more equitable access to this much needed professional service. Those who hold this certification have fulfill extensive requirements; including lactation specific education, practical experience assisting breastfeeding families, Health related coursework and passing of a rigorous examination. Continuing education is required for recertification every 5 years. The bills include provisions that insure that other lactation care providers with more limited training, all of whom provide valuable services, may continue to do so uninterrupted.

Please sign this petition in support of MA Senate Bill 1442 https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/S1442  and MA House Bill 3795 (identical text) and share your experience with access to IBCLC care in the comments below and help us spread the word by sharing this link widely so our petition reflects the many families impacted by lack of access to lactation care.