{"id":37442,"date":"2019-03-13T21:21:45","date_gmt":"2019-03-13T21:21:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/03\/13\/no-more-luxury-breast-pumps-for-new-moms-under-tricare-policy-change\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T07:09:28","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T07:09:28","slug":"no-more-luxury-breast-pumps-for-new-moms-under-tricare-policy-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/spouse\/2019\/03\/13\/no-more-luxury-breast-pumps-for-new-moms-under-tricare-policy-change\/","title":{"rendered":"No more luxury\u2019 breast pumps for new moms under Tricare policy change"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

After a Defense Department watchdog last year found Tricare overpaid more than $16 million for breast pumps, the military insurance provider has scaled back its coverage of those devices for new moms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new policy cuts out coverage of \u201cluxury or deluxe\u201d features, such as connectivity to cars and smartphones, as well as associated products like nursing bras, cleaning supplies and over-the-counter ointments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New mothers will also be limited to one breast pump kit per birth \u2014 not two, as was previously allowed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new policy comes after a 2018 Office of Inspector General investigation of Tricare spending in its north, south and west regions found that the Defense Health Agency overpaid for breast pumps in 91 percent of cases. And by not using suppliers with fixed reimbursement rates, it had also overpaid for replacement parts in 57 percent of cases, the report said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result, DHA overpaid a total of $16.2 million for standard electric breast pumps and replacement parts and could have ended up overpaying an additional $81.2 million over the next five years.<\/p>\n\n\n\t