At Empowered Breastfeeding, our goal has always been to make skilled, individualized lactation support accessible to as many families as possible — while running a practice that can sustain that care long-term. Recent changes from several insurance partners are affecting how we're able to structure visits, and we want to walk you through what's changing and why.

The Lactation Network (TLN)

TLN has significantly reduced reimbursement rates for lactation visits and eliminated the ability to charge a travel fee for home visits. Because home visits require additional time, mileage, and scheduling flexibility, they are no longer sustainable for us to offer at TLN's current reimbursement rate.

To clarify which insurances this affects: through TLN, we only accept Blue Cross Blue Shield / Anthem starting 9/7/2026, home visits are no longer available for BCBS clients billed through TLN. BCBS/TLN clients are welcome to be seen in our office, or may choose a home visit on a self-pay basis, with a superbill provided afterward to submit to their insurance for possible out-of-network reimbursement.

Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, and Curative

Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, and Curative are billed directly through our practice rather than through TLN, and this change does not affect them. Clients with these insurances can continue to be seen for home visits, office visits, and — depending on your specific plan — telehealth visits.

UnitedHealthcare Billing Change

Separately, UnitedHealthcare has changed how lactation visits may be billed: only the parent can be billed for the visit, even though a full assessment of both parent and baby is a required part of every lactation consultation. Because of this, the length and structure of visits for UHC-covered clients may look different than they have in the past — in some cases, visits may need to be shorter to reflect what can actually be reimbursed under the plan.

We want to be upfront that this isn't a change in the standard of care we provide — it's a reflection of what insurance companies are (and aren't) willing to cover for the work lactation consultants do.

We're Here to Help You Sort This Out

We know insurance changes like these can be confusing and, frankly, exhausting to keep up with — especially in the middle of a postpartum stretch when you have enough to think about already. Our team will always tell you plainly what your specific plan covers before your visit, and we'll help you weigh your options if a change like this affects you.

If you have questions about how any of this applies to your insurance, reach out — we're glad to talk it through.