CARTERVILLE (WSIL) — A new piece of legislation provides help to mothers who cannot produce milk for their babies.
House Bill 3509 helps provide consistency throughout the insurance industry and Medicaid program for donor milk reimbursement for premature and sick infants. In many cases, new mothers may be on medication or are otherwise unable to produce breast milk for their sick babies. Carbondale opened a human milk bank in May and now Jefferson County offers a human milk bank. All donor milk is covered under HB 3509 must be prescribed by a healthcare practitioner and only in situations that meet specific health criteria.
Hannah Howell is an Education Specialist and Certified Lactation Specialist with the Mothers’ Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes. She stopped by News 3 This Morning to share more about HB 3509.
“It can be quite expensive. Just in the same way that if you were to pay for a blood product out of pocket, anything out of pocket would be expensive. At the Mothers’ Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes it is our duty to our community to ensure that we take these steps to protect our families and to make sure that milk is accessible to everyone,” said Howell.
To visit the website click here. The milk depot in Carbondale is located at the Pediatric Group LLC on E. Walnut Street. The phone number is (618) 993-0404. Go to the Jefferson County Health Department to reach the depot in Mt. Vernon.
