Oxygen equipment & accessories

Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) covers the rental of oxygen equipment and accessories as durable medical equipment (DME) that your doctor prescribes for use in your home.

If you own your own equipment, Medicare will help pay for oxygen, contents and supplies for the delivery of oxygen when all of these conditions are met:

  • Your doctor says you aren't getting enough oxygen.
  • Your health might improve with oxygen therapy.
  • Your arterial blood gas level falls within a certain range.

If you meet the conditions above, Medicare helps pay for:

  • Systems that provide oxygen
  • Containers that store oxygen
  • Tubing and related supplies for the delivery of oxygen and oxygen contents

Medicare may also pay for a humidifier when it's used with your oxygen machine.

Your costs in Original Medicare

After you meet the Part B deductible , you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount .

If you have Medicare and use oxygen, you’ll rent oxygen equipment from a supplier for 36 months. After 36 months, your supplier must continue to provide oxygen equipment and related supplies for an additional 24 months. Your supplier must provide equipment and supplies for up to a total of 5 years, as long as you have a medical need for oxygen.

The monthly rental payments to the supplier cover not only your oxygen equipment, but also any oxygen accessories and services like:

  • Tubing or a mouthpiece
  • Oxygen contents
  • Oxygen machine maintenance
  • Oxygen machine servicing
  • Oxygen machine repairs

If you use either an oxygen concentrator or equipment used to fill portable tanks in your home, you may have to make coinsurance payments for maintenance and servicing of the equipment every 6 months if the supplier comes to your house to inspect and service the equipment. The supplier can’t charge you for this service unless they come to your home to inspect and service the equipment.

What happens after I rent my equipment for 36 months?

  • Your supplier must continue to maintain the oxygen equipment (in good working order) and furnish the equipment and any necessary supplies and accessories, as long as you need it until the 5-year period ends. The supplier can’t charge you for performing these services.
  • If you use oxygen tanks or cylinders that need delivery of gaseous or liquid oxygen contents, Medicare will continue to pay each month for the delivery of contents after the 36-month rental period, which means that you will pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for these deliveries.
  • The supplier that delivers this equipment to you in the last month of the 36-month rental period must provide these items, as long as you medically need them, up to 5 years. The supplier owns the equipment during the entire 5-year period.
  • If your medical need continues past the 5-year period, your supplier no longer has to continue providing your oxygen and oxygen equipment, and you may choose to get replacement equipment from any supplier.
  • A new 36-month payment period and 5-year supplier obligation period starts once the old 5-year period ends for your new oxygen and oxygen equipment.

Learn more about Medicare coverage of oxygen equipment and supplies in specific situations.

Note

To find out how much your test, item, or service will cost, talk to your doctor or health care provider. The specific amount you’ll owe may depend on several things, like:

  • Other insurance you may have
  • How much your doctor charges
  • If your doctor accepts assignment
  • The type of facility
  • Where you get your test, item, or service

Is my test, item, or service covered?