Mothers needing donated breast milk would benefit under new legislation carried by Illinois State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon).
The initiative would require insurance companies to cover costs of pasteurized donated human breast milk for mothers in Illinois.
“Mothers incapable of producing milk should still have access to the benefits and nutrients of milk for their newborns,” Senator Crowe said in a statement.
Under the measure, for coverage, the milk must come from a milk bank licensed by the Illinois Department of Public Health. To qualify, the mother must be unable to produce milk to meet the infant's needs, and the infant also must be critically ill.
House Bill 3509 passed the Senate Insurance Committee and will go before the full Senate for further consideration.
Steven A. Meyerowitz
Steven A. Meyerowitz, a Harvard Law School graduate, is the founder and president of Meyerowitz Communications Inc., a law firm marketing communications consulting company. He may be contacted at [email protected].