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SAN FRANCISCO – (BUSINESS WIRE) – Bobbie, the only female and mother-run infant formula company in the United States, has partnered with The Breasties Organization to launch an awareness campaign and public petition for mothers who are physically unable to breastfeed after a mastectomy, to get insurance coverage for a viable way to feed their babies. Mothers who have had a mastectomy – either for the prevention or treatment of breast cancer – deserve insurance equality and inclusion in policies supporting infant nutrition in the United States. Bobbie believes that any infant formula or donor milk for anyone who has undergone a mastectomy should be covered by the Affordable Care Act, as is the case with breast pumps.
The petition focuses on closing the current insurance gap for infant formula or donor milk coverage. At the moment, new mothers in the US can get a free breast pump, but no coverage for formula or donor milk. Insurance coverage is tied solely to the baby’s health, not a mother’s physical ability to breastfeed. Insurance coverage for baby food or donor milk will only be considered if the baby is diagnosed with a disease. But in cases where the mother cannot physically breastfeed due to breast cancer or a mastectomy, the medical need for formula or donor milk still exists – but a policy that supports it does not.
According to BreastCancer.org, there are more than 3.8 million women in the US with a history of breast cancer (this includes women currently receiving treatment and women who have completed treatment, and it became more invasive in over 260,000 women in 2018 Diagnosed with breast cancer may require breast removal surgery.
“Women who cannot physically feed their babies because their health and often their lives have priority over breastfeeding deserve the same support from our public policies and should be able to get breast milk or breast milk from donors under insurance coverage related, ”said Laura Modi, CEO of Bobbie and mother of three. “Offering a free breast pump to a mother who has had her breasts removed underscores the insulting loophole in guidelines to help feed this group of mothers in the United States. We can and should do better with these women. ”
During National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Bobbie partnered with The Breasties, a nonprofit that builds a community for survivors, previous survivors, thriving, and caregivers with breast and gynecological cancers. Bobbie will donate $ 25,000 to The Breasties to support their community education and research initiatives and will start a sponsorship program to provide one year of free Bobbie Formula to 25 mastectomy mothers in the US. To be considered for this opportunity, please visit Bobbie Breasties. Bobbie is also offering 25% off each box of Bobbie for new mothers who have had a mastectomy with a baby under one year old and who qualify for the one year discount.
“We are seeing more and more young survivors and previous survivors who are new mothers joining the breastie community. This is not a coincidence. There are more people than ever who are getting genetic testing and opting for preventive mastectomies before settling down and starting a family – all of this is encouraged and usually covered by insurance companies, ”said Allie Brumel, co-founder of The Breasties , Breast cancer survivor and new mom. “At the same time, we are also seeing women of childbearing age being diagnosed with breast cancer and having a mastectomy as a lifesaving treatment, including myself. By joining forces with the activist community behind Bobbie, we hope that we can pay attention to this group of women who are being left out in current public policy and the societal debate about how to feed our babies. ”
To be part of Bobbie’s lobbying campaign, you can nominate a mastectomy mother for a free Bobbie year, donate directly to the breasties, or sign Change.org’s petition to fill the nutritional void for breast to include cancer survivors and previvors.
As a purpose-built company, Bobbie started out with the community, not the trade. They first launched Milk-Drunk, a content site that gives parents at the intersection of nutrition a place where they can get straightforward answers, support, and information. They recently launched The Feeding Confessionals, a safe place for parents to unite, learn, and grow while normalizing any type of feeding journey. To put their money where their milk is, Bobbie eventually launched The MotherLode, a groundbreaking initiative that enables Bobbie customers to become investors.
To support the petition, please visit Change.org. For more information about Bobbie Breasties and to donate to The Breasties, please visit Bobbie Breasties.
About Bobbie
Bobbie is an organic baby food company that aims to build a trusting parenting culture, not settling, to help all parents choose the right nutrition for them and their baby. Bobbie will initially sell direct to consumers and offer a subscription service to parents in the US. Bobbie is founded and run by a mother and is supported by a 20-strong “motherboard” of consultants and a medical advisor comprised of doctors, lactation consultants, doulas, pediatricians and professionals who share their expertise in building a next generation formula company . Founded in 2018, Bobbie is based in San Francisco and is backed by ventures. For more information about Bobbie, please visit www.hibobbie.com and follow Bobbie on Instagram @bobbie.
