I am currently negotiating a contract with an HMO for both consultations
and pump rentals.  There was some confusion on the contract-- they
thought that breast pump rental and kit were the same thing and had my
rental fees listed as "breast pump rental kit fees".  The fees for rental
stand, but now we must negotiate the kit prices, which I've never done
before.  Medi-Cal, the only model I have, apparently is out of date
because it allows for less than the cost of a disposable double kit.  The
insurance company suggested to me that cost + 5% was normal, but that is
less than a dollar mark-up! We could also negotiate a flat fee, but as
kit prices tend to go up each year, that could quickly become a problem.

I am seeking more information for those of you who have gone before me.
Did you do cost plus %, or flat fee?  Could you sell any kit, or only
specifically approved ones?  I'd appreciate some guidance here as to what
is reasonable and realistic.

Please email me privately if you can help.

Lisa Marasco, BA, IBCLC
Expressly Yours Lactation Services
Santa Maria, CA