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Edgepark vs Byram Healthcare both work with insurance companies to supply breast pumps at a reduced cost, sometimes free. They are a couple of the options available to pregnant women who might want to look into getting a breast pump through insurance rather than paying cash at the store.
While they work with insurance companies to make these devices cheaper, they don’t work with all insurance providers, and they don’t carry every type of breast pump, so it’s important to understand the differences between the two before you decide who to use, if either.
To lessen the financial impact of purchasing a breast pump, we’ll review both Edgepark vs Byram Healthcare so you’ll know what your options are and how they might work for you, helping you make a more informed decision.
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Main Differences Between Edgepark vs Byram Healthcare
The main differences between Edgepark vs Byram Healthcare are:
- Edgepark has been around for nearly 100 years whereas, Byram Healthcare has only been in business for 50 years.
- Edgepark only offers phone support whereas, Byram Healthcare offers a live chat option as well as plenty of social media contact information on their website.
- Edgepark doesn’t display any of their breast pumps until you enter your state and insurance provider whereas, Byram Healthcare displays their breast pump offerings on the homepage.
- Edgepark offers breast pump, diabetes, and ostomy care whereas, Byram Healthcare offers support for much more.
About Edgepark
Edgepark offers quite a few quality breast pumps that are all highly rated. The company also has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, but don’t get too excited yet. They consistently receive 1 star on the BBB website, and they are not BBB accredited.
The Edgepark management company is a fully durable medical supplier, offering breast pumps, ostomy supplies, and diabetes management supplies, as well as accessories to make life easier for those who have temporary or permanent medical conditions.
They work with more than 1000 insurance providers, including Medicare and Medicaid, delivering to all 50 states plus the District of Columbia. You can order over the phone 6 days a week or online at any time and everything is shipped to your door for free.
Edgepark has been around for almost 100 years, so they’re experts in the medical equipment field, and the products they supply are good, but they could use some help in the customer service arena.
However, when it comes to coverage, the network of carriers they work with is larger than other breast pump suppliers, so they’re a good choice for a lot of people.
Edgepark Breast Pump Brands
Edgepark carries top brands as well as some that are more affordable. The hope is that you can get something your insurance will cover. All of their pumps are electric. Some are single pumps and some are double. They also offer a Freemie smart pump.
There are a few pumps that come with battery packs and others have rechargeable internal batteries for pumping on the go. They have at least one model from each of the following brands:
Edgepark Insurance Providers
We could sit together all day talking about the insurance providers that Edgepark works with because there are more than 1000 of them. However, they also work with several healthcare programs, so no matter how you get coverage, Edgepark could be an option for you.
It’s worth checking to see if you could get a breast pump at a reduced cost or free. There are employer plans, individual plans, and marketplace plans in Edgepark’s offering. Here are just a few:
- Aetna
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Ambetter
- CareConnect
- Amerigroup
- Cigna
- Anthem
- Delta Health Systems
- Medicaid
- Medicare
- Emblem Health
- Midwest Health
- GEHA
- Mission Point
- Good Samaritan
- Preferred Health Alliance
- Holy Cross Medical
- United Healthcare
- Humana
- Kaiser
- TriCare East
- TriCare West
- VIVA Health
Edgepark Ordering Process
You can order from Edgepark online or over the phone. It’s easy either way you do it and they’ll walk you through the process. However, they’ve been known to have long wait times on the phone.
Online
Before you can even see which breast pumps they offer, you have to enter your state of residence and your insurance provider. I suppose this prevents you from getting your hopes up for a breast pump that’s not available to you.
The website displays the breast pumps you can order with a description, features, and who they’re designed for. Select the one you want and enter more detailed information about you, your insurance plan, and your doctor.
Edgepark will submit a claim to your insurance provider, and once the claim is processed, your breast pump will ship. The website says it can take 7-10 days for your order to process, but delayed responses from your doctor can also hold up the process.
Phone
You follow the same process when you order over the phone, but you give all of your information to a customer service representative. This allows you to ask any questions you may have.
If you have questions about the process or the features of a particular pump, this is the best way to get them answered, because Edgepark doesn’t have a live chat option on the website, nor do they have an email or any social media contact information.
It’s also a good way to get an estimate on pricing. While the representative can’t tell you exactly how much your breast pump will cost, they may have access to some estimates, based on your insurance plan. Some insurance plans may only cover a portion of the breast pump rather than covering it at 100%.
Honest Reviews
Most of the reviews available online for Edgepark are rather negative. Their customer service is not very attentive, they don’t have a live chat on their website, and their phones have long wait times.
Their medical supplies are frequently back-ordered, which is bad news when your life depends on getting your diabetes management supplies on time. They also don’t have the largest selection of breast pumps, but they work with so many insurance providers that it may be the only option for some people.
Their representatives don’t seem to be very friendly, and some users complain that their claims get delayed when the wrong paperwork is sent to the insurance company.
Pros:
- Online ordering 24/7
- No shipping charges
- Customer service available every day but Sunday
- Well-known company
Cons:
- Range of breast pump products is limited
- May not work with your insurance provider
- Prices are not listed on the website
- Poor customer service
About Byram Healthcare
Byram Healthcare offers the same number of breast pumps as Edgepark does, but the brands vary. They’re still all highly rated, but the company is not. If you check out their Better Business Bureau page, they receive an F, they’re not accredited, and they consistently get poor reviews.
Byram Healthcare is a fully durable medical supplier that offers breast pumps in addition to diabetes management supplies, ostomy supplies, wound care, urology supplies, incontinence care, home health care, and more.
They work with slightly fewer than 1000 insurance providers, but of those providers, Medicare and Medicaid are still included. They service all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and you can order over the phone or online.
They’ve been around for 50 years, so they certainly know what they’re doing. They offer quality supplies, but customer service could use some work, much like Edgepark. However, I’d say the selection of breast pumps is slightly better and the website is much more user-friendly.
Byram Healthcare Breast Pump Brands
Byram Healthcare carries some awesome top brands as well as some I’ve never heard of. However, that doesn’t mean they’re not good. All pumps are electric while some are single and some are double pumps. They also have the Freemie smart pump as well as one other smart pump available.
Some of their pumps also come with battery packs, but Byram Healthcare does a better job of offering accessories than does Edgepark, so if you want to purchase extra accessories for your pump, you can.
Here are the brands they have:
- Medela
- Lansinoh
- Spectra
- Freemie
- Evenflo
- Ameda
- Ardo
- Unimom
- Zomee
Byram Healthcare Insurance Providers
While Byram Healthcare works with slightly fewer insurance providers than Edgepark does, they still work with some pretty big names. They have employer plans, individual plans, and marketplace plans. Here are some of the partnerships:
- Ambetter
- Aetna
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Anthem
- AllBetter
- Canopy
- CentenE
- Emblem
- GEHA
- Golden Rule
- Health Net
- Humana
- Medicaid
- Medicare
- United Healthcare
Byram Healthcare Ordering Process
Byram Healthcare also offers two different ways of ordering. You can order online or you can call. Either way is easy, but I think ordering online is easier. Their customer service representatives have also been known to be grumpy.
Online
While you can see which breast pumps they have on the homepage, you have to select your insurance plan to see which breast pumps are available to you. The list on the homepage is not comprehensive. Depending on your insurance plan, they also have others.
Once you select your insurance plan, you’ll see a list of pumps you could order, but it doesn’t provide any detail. You have to click on the breast pump to pull up a description and more features, which makes it hard to compare pumps side by side.
Once you select the breast pump you want, you can choose which accessories you’d like to purchase along with it. Accessories are not covered by insurance, so you will have to pay for this upfront.
Once everything is in your cart, you’ll enter all of your personal information, including insurance information and doctor’s information. Byram will contact your doctor and submit a claim to the insurance company.
You’ll be billed for any accessories, and once your claim is accepted by insurance, your breast pump will ship.
Phone
Ordering on the phone is the same. You’ll provide all of the necessary information and submit your order. You can ask any questions you have at this time if you want to know more about any of the breast pumps or the process.
However, I don’t think phone ordering with Byram Healthcare is necessary because their website is so helpful. They offer plenty of ways to reach out if you have questions or need help, including a live chat option.
Honest Reviews
Unfortunately, the reviews for Byram Healthcare are also quite negative. Their customer service representatives are frequently rude and overwhelmed. Their supplies are back-ordered and don’t ship on time.
Not to mention, there have been reports of Byram shipping a breast pump and then insurance denying the claim and charging the patient the full amount after the item was shipped.
The problem with situations like this is that it’s impossible to know exactly what happened since insurance companies are notorious for performing audits and denying previously approved claims months later.
Patients frequently get stuck with bills for products or services that were once covered, so this may not have been Byram Healthcare’s fault.
Pros:
- Live chat feature on the website
- Social media links
- Online ordering 24/7
- No shipping charges
- User-friendly website
Cons:
- Range of breast pump products is limited
- Insurance providers are restricted
- Prices are not listed on the website
- Poor customer service
Alternatives
Typically, I wouldn’t offer an alternative when comparing two products to one another, but these two options are both so poor, I feel like I have to give you something. There is one alternative that simply stands out from the rest and I think you should know about it.
Aeroflow
Compared to Edgepark and Byram Healthcare, Aeroflow is a baby. They’re only 10 years old, but I think that’s why they work. Their approach simply resonates with new moms and people seem to be really happy with the entire experience.
Their customer service is good, the products and accessories they offer are great, and their website is excellent. Shipping is free and prompt with many people reporting that they get their order less than 10 days after ordering it.
They specialize in breast pumps, so their offering is larger than Edgepark and Byram. Their site is more user friendly. You can view every breast pump they offer, along with accessories, without entering anything at all.
They have a live chat and tons of other ways to contact them, including email, phone, and plenty of social media links. They also offer invaluable postpartum recovery resources and other feeding accessories that you can order online.
The one downside is, of course, that you can’t use them if they don’t partner with your insurance provider. They do work with a large number of providers though, so it’s the best option if you can find your provider in the list.
FAQs
Answer: Great question! I’d say the answer is pretty obvious. Aeroflow has an A+ rating and is accredited on the Better Business Bureau website. Their offering of breast pumps is wider than the other two, they’re easy to contact, and their website is user-friendly.
But of course, if they don’t work with your insurance provider, then you won’t be able to get your supplies from them, which is usually the biggest obstacle.
Answer: While they’re a legitimate company, people don’t seem to like them very much. The reviews are poor for several reasons. They take too long to process claims, they’re not very responsive to customers, and the supplies are frequently back-ordered.
This is obviously a problem for people who have life-threatening diseases. If you were to order a breast pump months in advance of your due date to allow for any delays, it may not be as big of an issue.
We could also ask this question for any of the breast pump suppliers in our review today, or frankly, any insurance provider you may currently be using. It’s a tricky business, and you have to keep a close eye on what they tell you.
However, Aeroflow seems to be the one most people are satisfied with. They’re acting on your behalf to get a prescription for your breast pump and ask your insurance company if it’s covered, so it’s ultimately up to the insurance company to provide that coverage, not the beast pump supplier.
Answer: Edgepark gives some conflicting information when it comes to processing times. The website says it takes 7-10 days, responses in other places say 3-5, and complaints from customers say it takes much longer due to backorders and stock issues.
Byram seems to have the same problems. However, Aeroflow customers report that they’re very happy with shipping times. Their orders generally take about 10 days to process and arrive 2-3 days after that.
Answer: All three of these breast pump suppliers accept both Medicare, so if you’re receiving government assistance of any kind for your health care, you can still use these programs.
However, keep in mind that they accept Medicare reimbursements, but they do not bill Medicare upfront. That means you’ll have to work closely to coordinate your coinsurance and your deductible to pay for your supplies before they ship.
Final Thoughts
Neither Edgepark vs Byram Healthcare gets very favorable reviews, which is why I tried to provide an alternative I would feel comfortable using. I honestly wouldn’t recommend using either of these if I was expecting a baby.
However, if I had to pick one, I’d lean toward Byram Healthcare simply because of the user-friendly website. That will get my vote every time. I don’t want to make a phone call to support if I don’t have to.
It all boils down to whether they work with your insurance provider or not, but if Aeroflow didn’t work with my insurance company, I’d simply pay out of pocket for a breast pump and avoid the hassle altogether.
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