Order or pay for donor milk

There are many reasons why a family may order donor milk for outpatient use.

Babies with certain conditions, such as malabsorption disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, congenital heart disease, and allergies can greatly benefit from the nutritional and immunological support of donor milk. Occasionally, there are infants who are not thriving and growing adequately, even with a prescription formula.

Sometimes a small amount of supplementation is required for well babies in the first two weeks of life as mothers work on establishing their milk supplies or work through latching difficulties. We refer to this as “bridge milk” because it is bridging the gap as these issues resolve.

The following information is for families already at home or babies who will discharged and require ongoing donor milk for medical reasons. If your baby is currently in the hospital and the hospital is sending you home with bottle of bridge milk learn more about Donor Milk in Your Neighborhood.

Costs

Donor milk processing fees ($4.50/oz) cover the costs of donor screening, milk testing, bottling, and pasteurization. Medically necessary donor milk may be covered by insurance.

Medical need vs discretionary use

Insurance may cover a documented medical need for donor milk. If insurance coverage is unavailable, families in our region with an infant with a documented medical need may also be eligible for the income based sliding scale discount program. A baby with a medical need for donor milk may have a condition that is known to be improved by the use of donor milk or a formula intolerance that is creating symptoms and not supporting adequate growth. Documented trials of formula, often including a specialty prescription only formula, may be required.

Discretionary use refers to the use of donor milk in situations where there is limited or no access to the mother’s own milk, but the infant has no medical issue that would prevent them from tolerating formula. Examples of discretionary use include scenarios such as adoption, breast surgery, or low milk supply.

Ordering outpatient donor milk for your child

In the state of PA, infants may receive up to 40 oz. of donor milk within the first two weeks of life without a prescription. For continued use beyond this amount, it is important to consult with your child’s healthcare provider to develop a feeding plan. If donor milk is part of that plan, your child’s provider will need to issue a prescription, submit a Statement of Medical Necessity including growth charts, and request pre-authorization from your insurance company. For your provider’s convenience, templates for the prescription and Statement of Medical Necessity are available on our website under the “For Hospitals and Clinicians” section.

Our supply of pasteurized donor milk depends entirely on the generosity of our donors, and priority is given to the most medically fragile infants. Once all required documentation is received, our medical team will review your child’s case for triaging and contact you regarding eligibility and next steps.

If your family needs to privately pay for donor milk when being discharged from the hospital and the unit is sending you home with bottles of donor milk, complete the Dispensary Order Form. After you complete the form, you will be directed to a payment link. You will be required to show the receipt to the hospital staff.

All dispensary locations can be for at Donor Milk in Your Neighborhood.

Donor milk requires testing and pasteurization for the safety of its recipients who typically have complex medical needs. (Learn more about safety here.) The milk bank, similar to a blood bank, relies on fees from hospitals or recipients to cover the significant costs associated with donor screening, testing, and processing.

This fee, in the NICU, is paid by the hospital, as each hospital orders a supply and distributes it according to their own evidence-based criteria. For outpatients with documented medical needs, the cost of donor milk is typically covered by insurance. For the occasional cases of medically necessary donor milk that are not covered, Mid-Atlantic Mothers’ Milk Bank has an income-based sliding scale program to offset costs for families.