Preparing for your visit

Preparing for your lactation visit

Illness/Cancellation Policy

1- If you or a member of your household are experiencing any symptoms such as a fever, coughing, or shortness of breath you must cancel or reschedule your lactation appointment and the cancellation fee will be waived in this case. Families no longer are asked to wear a mask, but you may wear one if you prefer.

2- To protect yourself and your baby I clean and sanitize all of my equipment after every visit, wash/sanitize my hands before and after touching you or your baby, wear a mask, and commit to canceling or rescheduling your appointment if I develop any symptoms.

Home Visits:

1- First visit includes reviewing your health history, learning about your current breastfeeding challenges/questions, teaching latch and efficient sucking patterns, weighing baby before and after eating, examining baby, observing an entire feeding session, and working together to create your personalized care plan that works for you.

2- It is best if you try to time your baby's feedings so that they will be hungry during our visit. Have all your feeding supplies readily available so I can see what you’re using and your baby will be fully fed during our visit.

3- To maximize our time together please complete your intake forms and consents prior to our visit. If you haven't received the email with the link to your forms please contact me as soon as possible! If you have gmail-check your promotions folder and add my email to your saved address list. Intake forms and consents need be signed prior to my arrival for a home visit.

Virtual Consults

1- First visit includes reviewing your health history, learning about your current breastfeeding challenges/questions, teaching latch and efficient sucking patterns, observing an entire feeding session, and working together to create a personalized care plan that works for you.

2- It is best if you try to time your baby's feedings so that they will be hungry during our visit.

3- Virtual visits are conducted over the PracticeQ telehealth platform (my charting platform) a HIPAA-compliant system. All you need to do is click on the link in the email and I will meet you in the room. It is helpful to have your partner or support person with you during the visit to help hold and position the camera and good lighting.

4- You should gather all supplies you use for feeding or would like me to see, such as pillows, nipple shields, syringes, bottles, and your breast pump.

5- To maximize our time together please complete your intake forms and consents prior to our visit. Consents must be signed prior to your visit.

6- You may also send me any pictures or videos you think might be helpful for me to see prior to your consult. Getting a good picture or video inside of baby's mouth is very helpful. See this webpage for tips. You may send them to me via my secure email sara@essentiallactation.com.

Office Visits:

Tuesday visits all occur in the office beginning in September 2024 which is located in the Bellingham Towers Suite #280 inside the Integrative Physical Therapy Services office. Directions found HERE. There is street parking available and it is free until 11am. You can also park in the Bellingham Towers lot, please use code 1929 to validate your parking when you pay at the meter or you will be ticketed. There is a bus stop at Champion & Grand which is a 2 min walk to the Towers. There are elevators in the building and room for strollers inside the office space. Call 360-336-6468 if you are having difficulty finding the office when you arrive.

If the curtain is drawn at the back of the room when you get here, make yourself comfy on the couch and have a snack or tea from the kitchenette. I will be out shortly to start our visit!

2- It is best if you try to time your baby's feedings so that they will be hungry during our visit. Be sure to bring all of your feeding supplies (including any supplementation devices, expressed milk, formula, bottles, etc if this is part of your routine) so I can see what you’re using and your baby will be fully fed during our visit. There are nursing pillows and other props available in the office, so no need to bring those.

3- To maximize our time together, please complete your intake forms and consents prior to our visit. If you haven't received the email with the link to your forms please contact me as soon as possible! If you have gmail-check your promotions folder and add my email to your saved address list. Intake forms and consents need be signed prior to the start of our visit together.

Billing Info

1- If you are a client with Aetna insurance, Essential Lactation will submit your fees for Aetna’s consideration. Aetna’s usual and customary allotment for each procedure will satisfy your account; ultimately, each client remains responsible for full payment for services. You are responsible for providing accurate insurance information and informing Essential Lactation of any changes in your insurance status; if you do not have coverage at the time of service, you will be responsible to pay the cash pay rate. At the beginning of the insurance billing year, you may have co-pay or co-insurance applied to your bill by Aetna. This often ranges from $20-60 per visit and will be billed either up front or after confirming amount with Aetna's claims department after your visit. If a co-pay or co-insurance amount is due, you will receive notice by email with an invoice or with a receipt after charging your card on file.

2- If you are a Cash Pay (Out-of-Network Insurance) client: including all self-pay, Out-of-Network insurances, or insurances not partnered with TLN. Examples are Molina, CHPW, Kaiser, and some others. After your appointment your card on file will be charged unless another form of payment was completed at the end of the visit. You will receive a Superbill suitable for you to submit to your insurance. The superbill (which will also serve as a payment receipt) will be coded appropriately to the level of service provided during the visit. You agree to pay at the time of the visit (cash, check, credit card, or HSA). Prices vary by appointment type and are listed in the online scheduling system.

3- If you are a TLN (The Lactation Network) client: including BCBS PPO, Regence, Premera, Anthem, certain Cigna PPO plans, Multiplan, or United Healthcare insurance, please ensure you have already submitted your insurance info HERE prior to our appointment time to confirm coverage.

You may receive an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) from your insurance company that shows you have a dollar amount under the Patient Responsibility list. EOBs are not a bill. Here is what TLN has to say about this on their website:

"An Explanation of Benefits, or EOB, is NOT a bill. The purpose of an EOB is simply to provide you information on claims that are billed to your insurance provider. An EOB is also not a final solution with your insurance plan. We will not bill you out-of-pocket because we believe the Affordable Care Act (ACA) clearly dictates breastfeeding support and supplies cannot be subject to copays and/or deductibles." Please reach out to TLN directly if you have more questions: care@tln.care. They love to hear from families and are very responsive to questions.

4- Travel fee: Beginning September 1st 2024, all home visits will incur a $25 travel fee. This will not be reimbursable through insurance. You can use HSA or FSA funds for this fee. This was a very difficult decision as I believe home visits are incredibly important. However, in order to continue to offer this service and balance the cost of gas, maintaining a vehicle, and the time between visits this is the best option available. There will be office hours on Tuesdays as an alternative option for families. Thank you so much for understanding! Please reach out if this is a hardship for your family.

I look forward to supporting you and your family in meeting your feeding goals. Please reach out if you have any questions before we meet!

-Sara