Is a pacifier a chargeable item in your facility?

Specialties Ob/Gyn

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To try to cut costs, one of my staff members suggested making pacifiers a chargeable item. They are about 1-2$ a piece and sometimes patients end up with 3 or 4 of them. Some other people I work with consider pacifiers a standard of care and patient should not be charged. What do you do at your facilities and what do you think?

Specializes in NICU.

Smilingblueeyes, I totally agree. I had one breast fed infant sucked his thumb till he was 12....at that time, only when he was sleeping. His teeth came in straight, and he finally had his wisdom teeth pulled last year, at 33!

My second refused bottles, pacifiers, breast fed to a cup at 8 mos. Start smoking at 16.....Go figure! It wasn't an oral fixation! (He quit that at about 27).

Some babies need to suck!

they are free at our hospital, paci's are provide by our formula companies.

and as far as the non-nutriative sucking at the breasts, my wife did it and she does not have breasts of steel:)

Only one of my three would take a pacifier. My oldest got lots of NNS @ the breast, but since the younger two are only 4 minutes apart. I didn't have a lot of extra time for NNS @ the breast. The one that took the paci now sucks her thumb. She just had a stronger need to suck.

We don't charge for pacifiers. But, we often have to get them out of the take-home magazine packs.

Sorry if there are some who perceived that this was heating up into a big debate. This was not the intention of my post, however, I do frequently encounter moms who need to know that it is ok for them to let their babies receive nns at the breast if THEY want to within their own limits. Every person has to strike their own individual balance. I firmly believe that we should never judge a mom and that we are vessels of information for them in the decision making process. As professionals, we need to be aware that we are living in a predominately "rubber nipple" culture. I don't see nns at the breast as something that is always presented well to bf patients. I also hear moms say that they quit breastfeeding because they couldn't get enough done around the house. Perhaps these moms may have benefitted from a consultation with a nonjudgemental lactation consultant. To practice effectively as professionals, we need to be aware of the culture we are living in and the individual needs of our families. Thanks to all of you who were kind enough to reply to this post. I have learned so much from you all!

Specializes in cardiac, diabetes, OB/GYN.

Pacifiers???You have PACIFIERS??? I could only dream....Our lactation consultant hides them. Unfortunately, parents are not allowed to make the choice......They have to bring their own...We try to advise against them if at all possible and optimally, but I will never make a person feel guilty for having one provided I know I have presented to most current research.....Thats why THEY are the mommies....

Very nicely said, Mother/baby RN.

They are charged at our facility. Well, atleast we have to take the little charge sticker off the package before we open them. I believe though, that in all reality, it is just a means of tracking supplies in most cases, as most patients are just charged a flat rate. I know that in my state anyway, that medicaid patients (which most of ours are) get charged that way. We don't even get paid for the mom's unless they stay for more than 24 hours.

Specializes in M/B,L&D,NBN,PEDS,CHN.

We are "Baby-friendly" and therefore don't have pacis available for our well babies. They are discouraged if mom is brfdng. Of course, it is the mother's right to give her baby a paci if she chooses, but we don't supply them. The NICU does have pacis, and I don't know if they charge for them. My guess, yes, as cost is such an issue these days.

A hospital can charge for a pacifier however it will not be paid for by the insurance carrier. Insurance carriers (most) reimburse on a procedure/dx fee schedule. So, a hospital can charge $300.00 for one but it will not be reimbursed. Usally, if "all" or "most" patients use an item (ie:admit kit) then you can not charge. It is considered a rountine care item.

nope, not a charged item

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