06/09/2026
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A raw and transparent conversation from your local IBCLC.
One year ago, when I moved back to the United States and run a clinic here, I had one major goal: Reduce barriers to care.
I wanted families to be able to access feeding support regardless of their financial situation. Taking insurance wasn't just a business decision, it was MY mission.
My top priorities were Medicaid and TRICARE.
Then reality hit.
In Missouri, Medicaid eliminated lactation coverage. Let that sink in.
A new mother on Medicaid who is struggling with painful breastfeeding, low milk supply, poor infant weight gain, pumping challenges, or bottle refusal has very few options. Often, support is limited to providers who may have some lactation knowledge but have not received the extensive training required to become an IBCLC.
Then came TRICARE.
As both a military spouse and a TRICARE beneficiary myself, I went to bat for military families. I met with TRICARE representatives, spoke with local leadership, advocated to hospital commanders, and repeatedly explained the need for local lactation care in our community.
For months, I was told there was nothing they could do. That it was out of their hands. That virtual support was available.
After nearly 10 months of fighting, I finally became an in-network TRICARE provider.
A huge victory, right?
Except I still haven't been granted access to submit claims.
Which means families still can't fully utilize their benefits through my clinic.
And it doesn't stop there.
This week, lactation consultants across the country are advocating against policies that would prevent babies from being present during lactation visits with certain insurance plans.
Read that again.
Insurance companies are creating policies that make it harder for a baby to attend a breastfeeding appointment.
Sometimes I don't think families realize how much of a lactation consultant's job happens behind the scenes.
We aren't just helping babies latch.
We're fighting insurance companies.
We're navigating credentialing systems.
We're advocating for coverage.
We're attending meetings.
We're writing letters.
We're explaining, over and over again, why mothers and babies deserve care after birth.
The postpartum period remains one of the most under supported times in healthcare.
And unfortunately, many insurance companies continue to treat feeding support as optional instead of essential.
I will continue fighting.
For Military families.
For Rural families.
For Medicaid families.
For the Mother sitting at home at 2 a.m. wondering why no one is helping her.
Because every family deserves access to evidence based feeding support.
Not just the families who can afford to pay out of pocket.
-Morgan
