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'An issue of equity': Why some babies in rural communities don't have access to needed nutrients

Proposed legislation could help Florida’s sickest babies access donor breast milk

TAMPA, Fla. — The House version of a bill to provide Medicaid reimbursement for human donor milk prescribed for medically fragile babies moved forward Tuesday.

Members of the House Finance and Facilities Subcommittee unanimously voted to pass an amended version of House Bill 1333. 

It removes the Medicaid reimbursement for babies prescribed to use donor milk at home or on an out-patient basis. Only hospitals would be reimbursed. Additionally, the amended version allows commercial donor milk banks to enter the scene.

The original legislation said, “The donor human milk must be procured from a nonprofit milk bank certified by 53 the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA).”  

It now allows eligible providers of donor human milk and donor human milk derivates.

The Senate version (SB 1770) remains intact and has been referred to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services

The previous story is below.

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Breast milk is considered liquid gold. It’s one way to give the necessary nutrients to infants, especially those who are very sick and in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) across our state.

The problem, according to the non-profit Mothers’ Milk Bank of Florida, is that not every hospital has access because that liquid gold is expensive. Proposed legislation could help ease that cost and make it more accessible to both hospitals and families.

Milk banks work in a similar way to blood banks. They collect donated breast milk from mothers, combine it, pasteurize, bottle, freeze and then ship the donated breast milk to hospitals. 

Mothers’ Milk Bank of Florida coordinates efforts with milk depots located around the state including some in Tampa Bay.

Executive Director Kandis Natoli said when it comes to breast milk to help the sickest of babies, there is an issue of equity between rural and urban communities.

She said rural hospitals often cannot afford donor milk to help their sick babies. 

Legislation proposed in the Florida House (HB 1333) and Senate (SB 1770) would allow Medicaid to reimburse for donor milk prescribed to medically fragile babies who are in a hospital or at-home care.

Natoli said donor milk can cost families $100 a day for a medically fragile baby who is considered full-term and receiving care at home.

She said the reimbursement would mean that families and hospitals could afford the milk and the Mothers’ Milk Bank of Florida would become a supplier like blood banks.

Mothers’ Milk Bank of Florida currently serves 81% of the more than 2,000 NICU beds in the state. 

According to Natoli, since May 2021 there was a 12% increase in demand for donated breast milk that varied across the regions in our state. She said while the demand has come down, it’s still higher than normal and is linked to an increase in pre-term births, some caused in part due to birth complications from COVID.

Mothers’ Milk Bank of Florida will be opening more milk depots to meet demand.

You can donate financially to help Mothers’ Milk Bank of Florida provide to families in need and you can donate your milk. There is a screening process. To learn more about how to become a donor and the closest milk depot where you can donate click here.

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