Providers of oxygen recently learned that they are responsible for and will not be paid for maintenance, service and repair of equipment, with a few exceptions.

Set to take effect on January 1, 2009, suppliers of oxygen equipment in the 36th month must a) continue to provide the equipment to patients at no additional charge during any period of medical need for the remainder of the useful life of the equipment, which includes periods that may occur after a 60-day break in service; b) supply oxygen contents to the patient for the remainder of the useful life of the equipment and suppliers can charge for the contents and c) arrange for oxygen equipment and oxygen contents with another supplier if the patient relocates outside the supplier's service.

Medicare will pay for thirty minutes of labor once every six months starting six months after the 36-month cap, for routine maintenance and service actually performed on oxygen concentrators or transfilling equipment in the patient's home. There will be no payment for the repair or servicing of gaseous or liquid oxygen equipment.

The new oxygen provisions from CMS come as part of a 1,459-page final rule for the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) for calendar year 2009. The release states that a comment period will last 60 days (through December 30, 2008).

AAHomecare released a statement characterizing the new policy as alarming. The statement stated that AAHomecare fears that this approach will jeopardize seniors' access to the level of care they require and have come to expect from their oxygen providers.

Read DOTmed Business News' most recent report on respiratory equipment sales and service, now online:
https://www.dotmed.com/news/story/6792/

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