According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, human milk provides health benefits for all newborn infants but is of particular importance for high-risk infants, especially those born with very low birth weight (less than 1500 g).
Donor human milk (PHDM) also can be beneficial to supplement the mother’s own milk as necessary. Recent studies support health benefits for its use in infants with birthweight less than 1500 g., especially in decreasing rates of Necrotizing enterocolitis (a serious digestive disorder)
HUMAN MILK BANKS
Effective for dates of service on or after December 1, 2022, Medi-Cal covers medically necessary pasteurized donor human milk (PDHM) when obtained from a licensed and approved facility. There are two Human Milk banks in California:
San Jose
Mothers’ Milk Bank
1887 Monterey Road, Suite 110 San Jose, CA 95112
Phone: 1-408-998-4550
Email: coordinator@mothersmilk.org
San Diego
University of California Health Milk Bank
3636 Gateway Center Ave, Suite 102 San Diego, CA 92102
Phone: 1-858-249-6455 (MILK)
Email: ucmilkbank@health.ucsd.edu