Licensure of the International Board Certified Lactation Consultant: A National Necessity in the United States

Growing the IBCLC Workforce: A Florida Needs Assessment

“…Medicaid reimbursement, such as expanded coverage for IBCLC services and autonomous billing for IBCLCs, is supported by existing literature (Herold & Bonuck, 2016). State-level licensure of the IBCLC to increase insurance reimbursement may be especially important for mothers who cannot afford the out-of-pocket costs of hiring an IBCLC and may result in job creation in areas underserved by IBCLCs (Walker, 2017).…”

The Elephant in the Room

“…They discuss the importance of ensuring quality in the educational preparation of all levels of lactation care providers. Although predicated on the U.S. regulatory system aiming to ensure basic professional competency, Walker’s (2017) discussion of efforts to license IBCLCs offers one solution for IBCLCs, who are not licensed healthcare providers, to become recognized for their skill level that may be transferable, with some modification, to other countries having professional licensures. These articles address important components of lactation education and some regulatory efforts within the profession to ensure that consumers receive quality care, which could be culturally tailored for other environments.…”