Health Policy Brief: Workplace And Public Accommodations For Nursing Mothers

A new policy brief from Health Affairs and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) examines federal and state laws concerning workplace and public accommodations for nursing mothers in the United States. Because of breastfeeding’s proven health benefits to infants, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) contains several provisions to help increase the number of nursing mothers, with specific target goals by 2020.

The American Academy of Pediatrics supports exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby’s life; however, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that in 2011 only 19 percent of new mothers were exclusively breastfeeding after six months. With nearly half of new mothers working outside the home in the year after giving birth, employment is a frequently mentioned barrier to breastfeeding, along with other cultural and institutional impediments.

The brief details how the ACA requires health insurance plans to provide coverage of certain services for women at no out-of-pocket expense. It also explains the amendments made to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to provide women time and space to pump breastmilk while at work. However, as the brief explains, the FLSA applies only to certain employers and employees. The brief offers an overview of state laws about aspects of breastfeeding, such as allowing breastfeeding in public, or in the workplace.

About Health Policy Briefs

Health Policy Briefs are aimed at policymakers, congressional staffers, and others needing short, jargon-free explanations of health policy basics. The briefs, which are reviewed by experts in the field, include competing arguments on policy proposals and the relevant research supporting each perspective.

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