Does Medicare Cover Portable Oxygen Concentrators?
Yes, Medicare Part B (medical insurance) does cover oxygen concentrators and related oxygen equipment if your doctor prescribes them for use in your home.
Learn more about your oxygen therapy coverage options, including how equipment may be covered and exactly what components may be covered.
Does Medicare cover oxygen equipment?
An oxygen concentrator and other oxygen equipment can qualify as durable medical equipment (DME) that is covered by Medicare Part B if you meet certain conditions.
Medicare covers oxygen equipment rentals for use in your home, including equipment such as:
- Systems that provide oxygen
- Containers that store oxygen
- Tubing, masks, mouthpieces and other supplies and accessories that deliver oxygen
- Servicing, maintenance and repairs of equipment and supplies
Medicare may also cover humidifiers if used along with your oxygen equipment.
How much does Medicare cover for oxygen concentrators?
You will pay 20 percent of the Medicare-approved amount for the oxygen concentrator after you meet your Part B deductible (which is $240 per year in 2024).
Medicare covers the rental of oxygen concentrators and other oxygen equipment for up to five years, as long as you continue to have a medical need for oxygen therapy.
If you have Medicare Part B, you will rent your oxygen concentrator from a DME supplier for 36 months (three years). After that period, your supplier will continue to provide coverage for an additional 24 months (two years).
If you need to continue using the equipment after five years, you will begin a new five-year contract with the same or different DME supplier.
If you own the oxygen equipment yourself, Medicare Part B will cover the cost of oxygen contents and supplies if all of the following apply:
- Your doctor determines that you are not getting enough oxygen
- Your doctor believes your health might improve with oxygen therapy
- Your arterial blood gas level falls within a certain range
- Other alternative treatments have been tried and failed
Medicare.gov details some additional coverage rules for oxygen equipment under certain circumstances.
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How are portable oxygen concentrators covered by Medicare?
Portable oxygen concentrators are covered by Medicare only if the DME supplier agrees to offer you a portable option.
Because portable concentrators are more expensive than stationary ones – and because Medicare’s reimbursement rate to the supplier is the same either way – many suppliers will only offer stationary oxygen concentrators to Medicare beneficiaries.
Does Medicare cover oxygen for COPD treatment?
If you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and your doctor determines that oxygen therapy is medically necessary for you, Medicare will help cover your oxygen equipment.
Other health conditions that could require you to need medically necessary oxygen therapy can include:
- Cystic fibrosis
- Sleep apnea
- Late-stage heart failure
- Emphysema
- Severe asthma
As mentioned above, Medicare Part B will cover the rental of your oxygen concentrator and other equipment only if it is prescribed by your doctor for use in your home.
Medicare Advantage plans can cover oxygen concentrators
Medicare Advantage plans (Medicare Part C) cover all the same benefits as Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) and may also offer coverage for things not covered in Original Medicare.
Call to speak with a licensed insurance agent today and learn more about how a Medicare Advantage plan could help fit your health care coverage needs.
About the author
Christian Worstell is a senior Medicare and health insurance writer with MedicareAdvantage.com. He is also a licensed health insurance agent. Christian is well-known in the insurance industry for the thousands of educational articles he’s written, helping Americans better understand their health insurance and Medicare coverage.
Christian’s work as a Medicare expert has appeared in several top-tier and trade news outlets including Forbes, MarketWatch, WebMD and Yahoo! Finance.
Christian has written hundreds of articles for MedicareAvantage.com that teach Medicare beneficiaries the best practices for navigating Medicare. His articles are read by thousands of older Americans each month. By better understanding their health care coverage, readers may hopefully learn how to limit their out-of-pocket Medicare spending and access quality medical care.
Christian’s passion for his role stems from his desire to make a difference in the senior community. He strongly believes that the more beneficiaries know about their Medicare coverage, the better their overall health and wellness is as a result.
A current resident of Raleigh, Christian is a graduate of Shippensburg University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
If you’re a member of the media looking to connect with Christian, please don’t hesitate to email our public relations team at Mike@tzhealthmedia.com.
