free pump eligibility

- you may be eligible for a FREE double-electric hospital-grade breast pump via your insurance (they'd prefer not to scream this from the rooftops, though!).  i have an HMO, and it was still covered.  for me, i found out about it through cigna's healthy babies' program.  remember how i wrote that the nurse would call me monthly to see how i was and gave me super good advice?  well, she is the one who told me about it... IF my babies were to be admitted to the NICU and being preemies, then i'd be eligible.  since mine fit both criteria, then i was eligible. :)  yes!!!
- find out BEFORE you deliver if you're eligible.
- when you're in the hospital and should you be eligible, then ask your doctor to write a prescription for exactly this: "double-electric hospital-grade breast pump" because your "child/ren were admitted to the NICU and they're considered premature" (less than 37 weeks).  
- STAY ON IT!  one month into it, they sent me the standard double-electric breast pump (twice over) that you can get online for $70... definitely not the hospital-grade one i used in the hospital.  keep calling them, pestering them if they messed up, which they did in my case (shocker, right?!).  
- make sure they know that it's a PURCHASE, not a rental... to avoid any confusion and issues.  
- they sent me brand new attachments/bottles to use... obviously, for sanitary purposes.  the pump is serviced after any usage.  they first did mine as a "rental" (their mistake), and i'll keep this one for my pump! 
- i got a $1,600 pump for free!!!  yes, it's bigger than my medela pump instyle, but like i said before, it's AWESOME, so quiet, and works very efficiently!