Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Thanks so much for your interest in my forms!  Trials aren't feasible since it's impossible​ to return a PDF but you can see each of the forms in detail online before you purchase them and I'm always happy to help if you have any questions or concerns.  

Previous versions of my forms released over the last decade were advertised for use exclusively by IBCLCs as the gold-standard credential for clinical care beyond the normal course of breastfeeding, reflecting the extensive lactation education and training required for that certification.  As an IBCLC myself, I've worked earnestly over my two decades of practice to protect and respect the IBCLC credential. 

At the same time, I've always wholeheartedly supported other professional lactation credentials, such as Certified Lactation Consultant (CLC), Certified Breastfeeding Specialist (CBS), Breastfeeding Support Specialists (BSS), Lactation Educators (LE), etc., because they're a very important part of the breastfeeding support network and often the only resource in rural areas.  Yet as more credentials are developed, their scopes of practice seem to increasingly overlap and blur. 

Over the years, I've had many, many requests for forms appropriate for use by other credentials.  So earlier this year I began revising the Charting forms for less clinically technical expertise.  But as I tried to tease out what was appropriate only for IBCLCs, I quickly got bogged down into endless conflicting opinions online about the different scopes of practice and never found clear guidelines delineating them despite hours of research.  Then I realized that medical forms are sold all over the internet with little if any screening for use according to credential.  If you need the form, it's assumed you're qualified to use it.  If you're not, it's not the responsibility of the form developer. 

So after many months trying my best to sort it out, I finally concluded the only solution was opening my forms to all LC certifications.  This means that all Lactforms are now deemed appropriate for use by any "Lactation Consultant" with any certification.  If you need my forms, I assume you're qualified to use them.  Your scope of practice is up to you.  :)

This is my approach for now but I'm open to input!  Let me know if you have any ideas or feedback for the development process.  I always appreciate hearing what you think.

As a qualified professional lactation consultant, you should be able to understand all of the information on the forms.  The superbills are more complicated, but they come with detailed instructions.

My goal in designing each LactForm is to make each form intuitive and easy to use.  You shouldn't have big learning curve, but if you run into anything that's not clear, I'm here to help, including free video tutoring if needed.  

A huge benefit of LactForms is they're stand-alone PDF documents that you'll own and keep on your own device. No ongoing cost, no subscription, no complicated platform to navigate, and free upgrades.  Plus I'm here to help if you need any professional guidance in using them or run into any difficulties along the way.

Introduced in 2019 with the Superbills 5.0 version release, all LactForms are now gender neutral when referring to the lactating client, using the term "parent" instead of "mother," "their" instead of "her."   This change was necessary because recent science has shown that gender is not binary (only male or female) and encompasses a wide spectrum of gender identities. 

References to child clients remain in traditional gender terms since infant gender identity can only be inferred from their biological presentation.

For those who prefer traditional female terms for their adult clients, I do plan to eventually release a full set of set of forms with female gender terms.  I have several more urgent projects, though, just let me know if you prefer it and I'll work on them for you after your purchase.

I've had many requests for translations of my Charting forms into other languages so LCs can use them in more areas around the world.  (Superbills are US-only, so other languages aren't usually needed.)

I'm currently looking for LCs fluent in other languages since it takes an understanding of lactation terminology.  In return, I'm offering a complimentary complete set of my forms in the format and color you prefer, including a custom header.  I've had a great initial response to this call for translations, with these already underway:

German
Greek
Hebrew
Hungarian
Mandarin Simplified Chinese
Portuguese
Spanish (Latin American)
Spanish (European)

If you're lactation-fluent in any other language and might be interested in translating, let me know so we can discuss what's entailed!  

If you're interested in purchasing LactForms in another language, please let me know so I can reach out when they're ready for purchase.

Format Options

Our Referral Script form is available in two formats, Fillable and Printable.  The format that's best for your practice depends on whether the providers in your area tend to use mostly paperless electronic charting and file systems or old-school hardcopy paper charting and files.  Some provider offices may appreciate having both formats!

Fillable Referral Script Form—Best for Paperless Offices

The Fillable version is a PDF file displaying a single image of the Referral Script Form with fillable fields that the provider can easily send to their patient electronically.  Pre-loaded flash drives are an easy way to give the file to provider offices if they don't have an email address or any other way to send it to them.  Just purchase flash drives in bulk (1GB or cheapest size) and copy the file onto each drive.  A fancy idea is to use flash drives with your logo imprinted! 

Printable Referral Script Form—Best for Hardcopy Paper Offices

The Printable version is a PDF file intended for hardcopy professional printing as tear-off notepads (top edge glued with a cardboard backer) or sticky notes.  Formatted to look like a prescription pad, your practice information is in a header at the top with space below for the checking both parent and child issues.  Providers find printed notepads and sticky pads convenient way to refer their patients to you for lactation services.  They just check off a few boxes, tear off the page, and hand it right to the patient, who then has it handy as a reminder to make an appointment with you right away.   

Two printable PDF file versions are provided: 

1. One 4.25" x 5.5" (10.8cm x 14cm) image*
2. Four images on one 8.5" x 11" (21.6cm x 28cm)* page (some printing companies prefer four images that on a standard size page that's later cut into four parts)  

Custom printing services for both notepads and sticky notes are available at many places online.  Here's a few links for custom notepads (most can also make custom sticky notes):

• Etsy
• Amazon
• Uprinting
• Staples

I used to have my referral pads made at my local Staples Copy and Print Center after submitting the order online, but now the only options I can find on their site have the glue on the wrong edge (short end side instead of the top long end).  They can definitely make them, but you may have to go to your local Staples Copy and Print Center in person and explain what you need.  

Print Specifications

• Custom notepads or sticky notes
• 4.25" x 5.5" *
• Notepads: one glued edge on long (5.5") side (top of landscape-oriented image) with cardboard backing
• Sticky notes:  sticky area onlong (5.5") side (top of landscape-oriented image) 
• 25-50 pages (25 is probably best for most Provider offices)
• Ink:  2-3 color or greyscale printing (color catches the eye better but greyscale is less expensive)
• Background can be any color including plain white

Header Options

Our Referral Script form looks more professional with the HeaderBox option showing your branding colors and logo.  But the HeaderFields option works just fine, too.  Learn more about our header options

Feedback Welcome

I'd love your feedback about how well this works for your practice.  And of course always feel free to reach out to me with any questions or other marketing ideas!

* If you prefer a different size (or need to fit European size pages), most printing companies can adjust the image.  But if they require a different image size, I'll be happy to provide it at no extra charge, just let me know!

Our fillable format forms are functional, auto-calculating, fillable PDF files for paperless offices and emailing to clients to fill out electronically. 

They're designed for completion on any device (computer, tablet, or smartphone) with the free Adobe Acrobat Reader (Windows | Android), Adobe Fill & Sign (Windows | Android), and PDF Expert (Mac | iPad) apps.  They also work in Chrome browsers.  No other software or programming is needed. 

     

IMPORTANT:  If you're using a Mac or iPad, the free PDF Expert app works better than Adobe products.

The Fillable Process

1. Open the form in your Adobe Acrobat Reader, Adobe Fill & Sign, or PDF Expert app.  (In Acrobat Reader, click on the Fill & Sign function)  
   
   Note:  First open the app and then open the file in the app.  (Don't click on the file itself to open because it will automatically be opened by the default PDF program on your device.)
   
   
2. Enter all relevant and necessary information in the highlighted areas on the form
   
   
3. SUPERBILLS ONLY: To certify the superbills with your signature, click on the signature space in the bottom left space to create a signature by typing your name (appears in a cursive font) or using an uploaded image of your actual signature. 
   
   
4. Save the form with a new file name.  This keeps the information you entered and still allows the form to be edited again.
   
   
5. Print or email the form as needed.

Unfortunately, the Adobe PDF products we recommend for PC and Android don't work well for Macs and iPads.  Please use the free PDF Expert app instead of Adobe PDF products. 

Note:  First open the app and then open the file in the app.  (Don't click on the file itself to open because it will automatically be opened by the default PDF program on your device.)

ALL HEADERS:  It’s good general practice to include the following contact and branding criteria in the header on all the forms used in a professional practice: 

1.       Your professional name (which may be different than what your friends call you)

2.       Your earned credentials (BS, RN, IBCLC, etc.)

3.       Your professional phone number (can be your cell/mobile number)

4.       Your professional email address

ON SUPERBILLS:  When using the header on superbills (especially in the US), the following information is additionally required for because insurance companies need it to process your clients’ insurance claim.  If they’re missing, the companies will call you each time to get the missing information and that gets old fast (speaking from experience, lol).   Additional information needed on superbills:

5.       National Provider Identifier (NPI) number (free and required for all professional health care providers and educators)

o   Non-RN certified lactation consultant (IBCLC, CLC, and others):
use code 174N00000X

o   RN, IBCLC: use code 163WL0100X

o   Other credentials:  search the NPI taxonomy directory

6.       Tax ID number (use either of these two options)

o   Free Employer Identification Number (even if you don’t have employees), OR

o   Your personal Social Security Number (can be disguised by formatting it differently, like 99-9999999 instead of 999-99-9999)

7.       Full professional mailing address

o   If you don’t have an office and aren’t comfortable sharing your home address, you can use a US post office (PO) box (that you’ll need to check periodically), the address of a private mailbox service (may forward and be less expensive), or a virtual mailbox.

Other information like your company name, website, social media usernames, and fax number aren’t necessary for insurance companies, but may be good to include for your clients.

Yes, if you're a practicing as a professional lactation consultant, no matter what your certification is (IBCLC, CLC, etc), you're a professional healthcare provider and MUST HAVE a National Provider Identifier (NPI) number. 

An NPI number is a 10-digit unique identification number for health care providers, designed to help send health information electronically more quickly and effectively.  Most healthcare providers, all health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses must use NPI numbers in their administrative and financial transactions. 

An NPI number doesn’t have information about you, like the state where you practice, your provider type, or your specialization. Your NPI won’t change, even if your name, address, taxonomy, or other information changes.

Apply for your free NPI number

• Non-RN certified lactation consultant (IBCLC, CLC, and others):
  use code 174N00000X
• RN, IBCLC: use code 163WL0100X
• Other credentials:  search the NPI taxonomy directory

Many LCs setting up a new practice are concerned about listing a tax number on their form headers.  Whether or not it's needed depends on where you are located and which forms the header will be used for:

Practicing INSIDE the US:  If you're practicing inside the US, you only need to include tax information on the header if you also provide superbills (see below).

Practicing OUTSIDE the US:  If you're practicing outside the US, you probably don't need to include tax information on the header.

No superbills:  If you don't provide superbills to your clients, you do not need to include your tax number on your header.

Provide superbills:  If you don't bill insurance directly and provide superbills to your clients so they can get reimbured through their insurance for the fees paid to you, including a tax number on the superbill header will save you a lot of time and headaches. 

TAX NUMBER OPTIONS

Option 1 — Use your own Social Security Number:  If you're practicing inside the US and you're a sole proprieter (haven't created an LLC or other corporate entity), you can use your own Social Security Number.  There's a risk of identity theft, but it's probably not very high.  To minimize the risk, you can disguse the number in a different format by changing the structure.  Instead of the 123-45-6789 format, just use the 12-3456789 format.  

Option 2 — Use a free federal Employer Identification Number (EIN):  Any business owner in the United States can apply for a free EIN (also known as a federal tax identification number) whether or not they have employees.  

Getting a unique logo for your business isn't difficult or expensive.  There are many services that design logos or help you design them yourself, often for free.  Here are some good ones:

logodesign.net
freelogodesign.org
adobe.com/express/create/logo
designhill.com/logo-design/
designcrowd.com/logo-design
https://www.canva.com/logos/

What about a stock image?  DON'T DO IT!  Here's why.

I strongly recommend NOT using a stock image for your logo.  Even though it's a quick way to get a logo, it is always best to have a unique logo for your company.  Here's why:

Although there are many great stock images available to use as a logo, they can also be used by other companies (unless you pay the large fee for exclusive use).  This can cause "brand confusion" if people see your logo at another LC business (even online) and think it's the same LC or company as yours.  They may even wonder if you copied another company's logo or they copied yours, which can decrease their confidence in your integrity. 

Far better to create your own original logo.  If that's not possible or you don't have the time to do it yet, it's better not to use a logo at all.  They're important for branding, but not at the risk of brand confusion.

If you DO NOT provide superbills, you do not need to include an address on your header. 

If you DO provide superbills, you do need to include an address on your header.  If it's not there, insurance companies will call you for the information for every claim, which gets old fast (speaking from experience lol).  

If you don’t have an office and aren’t comfortable sharing your home address, you can use a US post office (PO) box (that you’ll need to check periodically), the address of a private mailbox service (may forward and be less expensive), or a virtual mailbox.

Capitalization is often used when emails and website addresses (URLs, like http://google.com) are listed on documents, especially advertising, because it helps people see the letters more clearly.

Capitalization doesn't matter in emails at all.  Shirley@MyLactationConsultant.com works just as well as shirley@mylactationconsultant.com.  

Capitalization in website addresses doesn't matter in the FIRST part of the URL, up to the .com (or whatever: .co, .tv, .biz).  But anything AFTER the ".com (or .whatever) part of the URL is case-sensitive.  For example, you can list a URL as MyLactationConsultant.com/forms, capitalizing the "MyLactationConsultant" part, but everything after the .com (or whatever) IS case-sensitive.

Why use capitalization in Capitalization helps people more easily see the letters to type.

Heavens, no!  :)  Today's modern browsers know to automatically add in the "http://" and "www" part of website addresses.  Leaving those parts out looks more up-to-date and easier to read.

Any custom header created by Diana at LactForms can be updated for a small fee.  Just purchase the header change service and let her know what needs to be changed by sending a message or filling out the form again.

After that, your form will be ready to go — email to clients or print it out for hardcopy use.  

In the US, Superbills are medical receipts given to clients (patients) for them to file with their insurance company for reimbursement after first paying the provider directly.  As a healthcare professional, it's always important to give your clients (patients) a receipt after they've paid for your services, especially when you aren't a provider with their healthcare insurance. 

LactForms Superbills make this easy with pre-populated codes most likely to be reimbursed (directly to the client because they already paid you).  They guide you through the coding process with just a few clicks or checkmarks (depending on whether you're using the fillable or printable versions).

When the IBCLC field began in the 1990s, combined superbills covering both the parent and child were fairly common.  In recent years, though, most US insurance companies began requiring a separate superbill for each patient, parent and child, to cleanly bill for services to each person.  It does make sense:  no other medical profession treats two people as a combined unit.  If the company comes back asking for a combined bill, you can always redo the bill for the mom putting all the charges on one or the other. 

What about multiple babies?  Or multiple lactating parents?  Complete a separate form for each person you treat! 

This is probably the most common question I hear but there's no standard way it has to be done.  It's really up to you, the circumstances of each case, and each insurance company's requirements.

Unless you spent considerably more time with the parent or the baby, it’s usually easiest to split your fee equally between the two Superbills.  If your time wasn’t evenly spent, you can divide it proportionally.  For example, if about ¾ of the time was spent with the baby, the child superbill would reflect 75% of the total fee and the parent Superbill would designate the remaining 25%.  Of course, if you ONLY see the parent, then you only need to give them the parent Superbill, and likewise for the child.  

For breaking down your fee among the billing codes on each Superbill, the instructions that came with your purchase include detailed guidance that should make it easy.  But always feel free to reach out to me if you more help! 

If you're working in a doctor's practice, they can probably handle the billing.  If you have your own practice, you can often sign up with insurance companies for direct billing.  IBCLCs and some with other credentials such as CLC are accepted as qualified providers by many companies even without RN or other nursing credentials.  

The credentialing process for insurance companies is separate from professional credentialing. It refers to the insurance company accepting care providers whom they will reimburse. Insurers establish their own rules about whom they credential, which is challenging for individual providers who have to deal with each insurer separately. 

An NPI is a free unique 10-digit numeric identifier required for all professional health care providers, including all professional lactation consultants who see patients/clients, no matter what their certification is, for use in their administrative and financial transactions (such as billing insurance companies and/or providing superbills to patients/clients for insurance reimbursement).  The provider's unique numbe does not have any information about the provider or their location.  It won't change, even if the provider's name, address, taxonomy, or other information changes.

Information about how to apply for an NPI number can be found here.  Applying online starts here.  The government also has a helpful PDF with step-by-step instructions. 

Codes needed for the application:

• Non-RN certified lactation consultant (IBCLC, CLC, and others):  
  use code 174N00000X 

• RN, IBCLC: use code 163WL0100X  

• Other credentials:  search the NPI taxonomy directory 

I am always happy to review recent superbills provided to clients to ensure sure it's filled out to optimize reimbursement (with HIPAA-sensitive data redacted, of course).  Sometimes there are coding techniques that may help.

In general, though, the best advice I can offer is to call the most common insurance companies in your area and ask for their guidance on coding for maximum reimbursement (they can be surprisingly helpful).  

Ultimately, though, I suspect the problem lies in the abysmal healthcare coverage for breastfeeding and lactation in the United States.  Insurance companies in the US seem to avoid coverage in every way they can despite mandates in the ACA.  It's a huge problem and I wish I knew more ways to help our clients get better coverage.  Please share any new information you learn so I can incorporate it into the superbills to benefit other US clients.

Smart question!  I don't have anything built-in for that right now, but the defaults should all be set to the normal finding, so if you don't make any changes it should be that way already.  If you find that any setting isn't that way, just let me know and I'll fix it!

After their initial consultation appointment, clients/patients often reach out to their LC with numerous questions by text, email, or phone, but don't schedule follow-up appointments, so LCs end up spending considerable time providing care without fair reimbursement for their time and expertise.  This scenario doesn't usually happen to other medical specialties because they aren't expected to offer free additional care. 

So the first step to fair compensation is  to set aside the reality that most LCs are big-hearted people who often have trouble asking for fair payments.  Remember that LCs are allied healthcare professionals and they deserve to be respected and compensated fairly like all other medical professionals.

Next, establish a fee structure that fairly compensates you for ALL types of interactions.  Then post your fees clearly on your website or even on a handout given to clients/patients at their first appointment.  

Setting LC fees can be tricky but it's important to charge enough that you feel appropriately compensated for your time and expertise.  If you're tempted to keep it low in consideration of your clients' finances, remember that breastfeeding saves them a LOT of money over formula.  You became an LC only after extensive education, training, and skill development.  You deserve fair compensation! 

Here's two fee strategies that have worked well for other LCs to make sure they are fairly paid for follow-up care:

1) Setting your initial consultation fees high enough to includes a certain number of follow-up visits (maybe 2-3) OR

2) Setting a (firm!) policy of fees charged for follow-ups of ANY kind, including text, video, and phone.