How Kristen Howorko, IBCLC found an advocate for consistent, insurance-covered care in The Lactation Network
“My relationship with parents was about four hours long when I became a hospital lactation consultant, but now I’m able to be with these parents for their entire breastfeeding journey. I like to be able to build a relationship with my clients, even with second or third babies. I don’t have to provide a year’s worth of education in 15 minutes.”
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant Kristen Howorko joined The Lactation Network (TLN) in November of 2020 after researching why health plans didn’t always cover care through the Affordable Care Act (ACA): “I found TLN because no one else was advocating for insurance-covered care, and no one else was doing in-home, in-person visits. I had a dream of owning my own business. I just didn’t know how.”
Howorko started as a NICU nurse, but she found herself grappling with how to provide comprehensive care in the hospital setting when she started to offer lactation care to patients post-delivery. “As a lactation consultant in the hospital, I had to give a year’s worth of education in 15 minutes…that was really challenging,” she says. “I knew I wanted to provide more comprehensive care throughout the whole journey via home visits, and not just in the beginning stage.”
Howorko isn’t alone in this sentiment. Lactation consultants that practice in hospital settings frequently mention the difficulties of preparing parents for a months-long — or sometimes years-long — breastfeeding journey at their bedside just after giving birth. “Not having to teach a year’s worth of information in the first 90-minute visit is crucial,” she says. “TLN allows me to provide the best care possible through follow-ups. There’s a huge difference between a two-year-old and one-month-old. I’m able to talk about what’s happening with parents moment-to-moment.”
After opening her private practice, Milked Up, in February of 2022 with TLN support, Howorko says she went from 1-2 visits with self-pay clients to seeing insurance-covered patients at least six times in the first year. “That’s how I was able to take my business from part-time to full-time,” she says. “The Lactation Network is a way to provide comprehensive care to new parents and support them through the journey of their entire baby feeding journey. We don’t have to provide one-size-fits-all care in one visit. You can be with them on that journey.”
The Lactation Network exists to help IBCLCs reach and provide insurance-covered lactation care to families — while getting the billing support and resources they need to thrive. Joining The Lactation Network is free, easy, and great for IBCLCs growing their practices. Join today.
We handle billing, end-to-end. We connect you with insurance-covered patients. We help you grow your practice, your way.
