Over the past couple of decades, many changes have come about in the home oxygen therapy.

Because of the Medicare Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, ALL Medicare/Medicaid oxygen recipients will see their lives change (and not in a good way.)

Medicare has always paid a monthly rental on oxygen therapy, including maintenance costs, supplies and oxygen refills for portable systems.  As of January 1, 2006 what used to be considered a rental payment is considered a payment toward purchase of the equipment.  So, after 36 straight payments (i.e. January 1, 2009; eleven months from now), the ownership of the equipment is transferred to the patient.  That also means transfer of responsibility (TO YOU) for the maintenance of the equipment and a few other problems that Medicare seemed to miss.

For example, if your oxygen concentrator stops working at 2 a.m., you pick up the phone and generally have another machine within the hour.  But once ownership transfers, you might be told to bring it in the following morning to have it checked out, and you may end up being responsible for the rental cost and the repair cost YOURSELF.

Medicare wil not purchase another oxygen concentrator for you for five years because manufacturers have a five-year warranty.  Most manufacturers, however, will void the warranty once ownership has been transferred because the end user will not have the knowledge or capability to properly maintain the machinery.

While on a rental basis, oxygen concentrators are checked with an oxygen analyzer to ensure the purity of the oxygen, but once ownership has transferred, Medicare allows a fee to have this done once every six months.

Most oxygen patients have an average of 3-6 portable oxygen tanks to allow them the maximum amount of freedom, but with the transfer of ownership this means the patient will have a single tank and regulator that are transferred to them, and while Medicare will continue to pay for oxygen refills, the patient is responsible for taking these tanks to a provider and waiting for their personal tanks to be refilled.  The patient also will be responsible for having the tank hydro-tested every five years.

Patients or families who end up with the equipment after it is no longer needed might find themselves in a tough spot because oxygen is considered a prescription drug, and the Food and Drug Administration has said it will be illegal to sell or give away the equipment once it is no longer needed.

What Can An Individual On Oxygen Do? Research and consider investing in the newer technologies such as the Invacare HomeFill Unit and their refillable cylinders or portable oxygen concentrators such as the Inogen One or SeQual Eclipse, both of which Medical International Distributorscarry but are unable to list due to policy and rules.

It is a medical fact that an oxygen patient's mortality rates increase ten fold once they reduce their exercise level and amount of time spent on activities outdoors.

Please feel free to visit our storefront Medical International Distributors and email or call us toll free: 1-877-984-5050 with any questions pertaining to this article or your oxygen and respiratory needs.