The true value TLN brings to IBCLCs
Are you an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) ready to take your business to the next level? Have you heard your peers mention The Lactation Network and wondered what value TLN can bring to your practice? You’ve come to the right place.
Here’s what we offer to every single IBCLC on day one of joining our network:
Access to insurance-covered consultations
Every lactation consultant knows that breastfeeding families deserve the high-quality lactation support that IBCLCs provide. The Affordable Care Act mandates that insurance companies cover that care, yet most families find it incredibly difficult to access lactation support through their insurance. That’s where TLN comes in — we make it possible for IBCLCs to provide families with insurance-covered lactation consultations from the prenatal period through weaning. That means you get connected to patients you already know are covered by insurance, and you can provide families with lactation consultations for the duration of breastfeeding.
For as many visits as are medically necessary for parents and babies — as it should be.
This way, families get access to the care they deserve, and you get access to a business model that fosters growth and helps you achieve your private practice goals.
Reliable compensation
As providers, working with insurance companies brings both uncertainty and risk. Payouts fluctuate, and many lactation consultants spend hours on the phone appealing denials. Working with insurance companies can feel both overwhelming and unpredictable. Fortunately, when you’re a TLN IBCLC, you and the families you support no longer need to struggle to collect payments from insurance companies. TLN’s insurance approval process is quick and easy for your families, and TLN pays you weekly for the consultations you provide.
Tools for your practice
The Lactation Network also partners with IBCLCs to provide the tools to run a thriving private practice. As a TLN lactation consultant, you’ll have access to a comprehensive EMR, HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform, HIPAA-compliant patient messaging platform, social media assets, sample business forms, and a subscription to the Melanated Mammary Atlas. These private practice essentials are free to all TLN IBCLCs.
Continuing education
At TLN, we also know that IBCLCs value continuing education, so you’ll have access to various free educational webinars with topics ranging from business coaching to clinical research. You can attend the live webinars or view the recordings later in your myTLN portal.
Advocacy for the IBCLC profession
As the largest network of IBCLCs in the country, TLN advocates tirelessly for breastfeeding families and the caliber and quality of IBCLC clinical expertise. The Lactation Network works with lawmakers to create legislation that expands access to lactation care and acknowledges the unique contributions of IBCLCs.
TLN colleagues have advised on critical legislation to expand lactation care certification to military families. We work alongside The VA Community Care Network (VACCN) to ensure veterans nationwide receive timely, high-quality healthcare. We provide grant funds to aspiring IBCLCs from underrepresented communities to offset the cost of costly training programs, college courses, hundreds of clinical hours, and exam fees. Plus, we’ve kicked off an advocacy hub to ensure that families, allies, and employers have the information they need to drive the lactation coverage conversation forward and open pathways to care in the future.
That hub tells the stories of parents who encounter obstacles to lactation care in workplaces and with insurance companies, offers self-assessments for employers to check for adequate coverage through their employee benefits plans, and provides a petition for engaged visitors to make their voices heard in their networks. We hope it’s a wake-up call to employers and health plans to make lactation care accessible to all families.
We’re just getting started — there is more work to do.
We know we don’t do this work alone; we do it beside and because of IBCLCs like you who care for families from coast to coast. We know these resources, tools, and initiatives will make it easier for you to grow your reach and scale your businesses.
Are you new to building a private practice for lactation care and looking for a step-by-step guide to establishing one? Log into the myTLN portal to access the “Starting Your Practice Playbook.”
Not yet a TLN IBCLC? It’s free to join. Go here to schedule a call and learn how TLN can help you grow your practice.
