Question of the Month: What guidelines and regulations exist regarding human donor milk for infants whose mothers cannot provide breast milk?
One potential alternative for some babies, then, is the use of human donor milk. Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Ohio are among the states with nonprofit human-milk banks that have been certified by the Human Milk Banking Association of North America. (The association’s certification standards were established with input from the federal government and the blood and tissue industries.)
According to the U.S. Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services, some states provide Medicaid coverage for infants to use donor milk. For example, in Texas, Medicaid covers the cost for donor milk for a limited period of time, when its use is deemed medically necessary. And a new policy in the District of Columbia includes coverage for Medicaid-eligible infants through age 11 months, when certain “medically necessary” conditions are met.

To help fill that gap, the National Breastfeeding Center and the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee have developed a model policy on insurance coverage for breastfeeding. That proposed policy includes as a covered benefit pasteurized milk from a human donor — provided that the donor has been screened and that the milk comes from a certified milk bank. A prescription from a licensed provider would also be required and have to be renewed every three months.
Article written by Laura Kliewer, CSG Midwest senior policy analyst. Question of the Month highlights an inquiry received by CSG Midwest through its Information Help Line.
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