Common Questions:
Any payment for services not covered by insurance or any fees are due in full at time of services with consideration for special circumstances. Cash, checks made out to LifeTree Services, and debit/credit/HSA/FSA cards are all welcome. *Note, virtual visits are paid with online options only.
In-Home sessions available Northern and Central New Jersey, including Union, Essex, Middlesex, Morris, Somerset, Bergen counties. Common locations include but not limited to: Basking Ridge, Berkeley Heights, Chatham, Clark, Cranford, Florham Park, Livingston, Madison, Maplewood, Millburn, Morristown, New Providence, Scotch Plains, Short Hills, South Orange, Springfield, Summit, Union, Warren, Westfield
Travel to South Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania is available upon request for special circumstances. If you live outside this normal service area please feel free to contact LifeTree Lactation to connect you with a trusted provider in your area.
*Virtual Consults available in all locations.
When possible disposables are used and discarded of after each client. Multi-use equipment is sanitized in accordance to OSHA requirements for equipment and surfaces that may have come in contact with body fluids or other potentially infectious material. EPA approved chemical sanitizers are used, then items are again cleaned to remove the sanitizing agent.
Yes! LifeTree Services is a registered Limited Liability Company (LLC) and has a Federal Employee Identification Number (EIN).
Nikole Keller of LifeTree Lactation is an out-of-network provider. She partners with The Lactation Network which offer in-network coverage for some insurance plans. To verify coverage, use this link: https://go.lactationnetwork.com/LifeTreeLactation
For those with plans not approved by TLN or those wishing to simply use out-of-network benefits or a gap acceptance, a superbill will be provided for insurance reimbursement.
Insurance companies are required to cover lactation consultations under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). A “gap exception” can help facilitate your full reimbursement when going to an out-of-network provider. Plans that do not have in-network providers available to you must cover out-of-network providers as though they were in-network. While insurance companies are required to provide lactation services under the ACA, many attempt to create roadblocks to doing so. Being educated and informed will help you advocate for coverage.
This is the NJ State legislation in regards to insurance coverage for lactation related supports. The statute not only includes what is required to be covered, it also includes what is not required in order to receive that coverage: 2021 NJ Revised Statute 17
This is a wonderful resource that explains your legal rights for breastfeeding support coverage : National Women’s Law Center Tool Kit
To check benefits the most common procedure codes used for services are 99401, 99402, 99403, and S9443 with the diagnosis code Z39.1. If requested, my NPI number is 1912405622
To determine your flange size you’ll need to measure your nipple. Use the printable tool below to find the diameter of your nipple (the horizontal width across it) in millimeters. Measure the nipple alone, do not include the areola, which is the outer edge around your nipple. Make sure to measure both nipples, you may need two different sizes.
Here is the tricky part, what works well for one person might not for another. There are two theories currently in the lactation world. The first, and most commonly heard is to size up one size. So if your nipple is 19 mm across, your flange size is 21 mm. And the newer theory and the one lots of clients find the most comfortable is to use the size measured. So if your nipple is 19 mm across, you would use flange size 19 mm.
What do we look for when fitting for flanges? That no areola is getting pulled into the tunnel, the client isn’t feeling any pain or pinching, and the milk is flowing.
Freshly expressed human milk can be stored at room temperature for four hours and up to eight hours under very clean conditions, for four days in the refrigerator and up to eight days under very clean conditions, for 6 months in freezer and up to 12 months in deep freezer. Thawed expressed human milk can be stored up to two hours at room temperature, up to 24 hours in refrigerator, and it should never be refrozen. Leftover human milk should be used within 2 hours after the infant last finished feeding.
Here is a handy infographic to reference : LTLS Milk Storage
You can view the full ABM storage protocols here.
