Will Medicare Pay for an Inogen One Portable Concentrator?

We are proud to be able to provide the Inogen One line of portable oxygen concentrators to our customers here at DollarCannulaClub. The Inogen units are hard working, lightweight and easy to carry around. They are not a "cure all" as they only have pulse delivery options. We do have other options of portable oxygen which can support continuous flow up to 3 LPM for those who require continuous flow for sleep. These higher flow units are not as lightweight and are normally portable by means of a small pull around cart and resemble small carry on luggage for an airplane. But different types of portable oxygen concentrators is a subject we will delve into in depth in another blog post.

The question of the day is "Does Medicare pay for portable oxygen concentrators?" 

This is a question we get all the time at DollarCannulaClub. The answer is often Yes & No depending on who you are asking. 
 Medicare does not purchase any equipment upfront. They provide a monthly "rental" fee to your home equipment provider. This fee is to cover home oxygen and portable oxygen. Medicare does not pay a higher monthly rental fee to your provider if they provide better equipment.  
  Since portable oxygen can be achieved in a number of less expensive ways, such as lightweight liquid tanks or smaller aluminum cylinders. Almost all companies not only choose but are forced to go with these harder to use more uncomfortable options. The reimbursements provided by medicare are just not enough and are dragged out in payments for so long that most companies just can not afford to provide these newer lightweight alternatives.

If I find a supplier who will provide portable oxygen "can I switch providers? "

---

The answer is YES you can switch. However it's just not that easy. Since we are dealing with Medicare here nothing is just that simple. Medicare pays your provider over a period of 5 years. But they do not pay evenly over the whole 5 years. They pay around $90 a month for the first 36 months. For the last 24 months they do not pay a monthly amount. This means that even if you do find a supplier who will provide portable oxygen equipment as a Medicare benefit, that unless you are just beginning this 5 year cycle a new provider will not be able to take you as a customer until the next cycle begins.

Short answer

Medicare does cover a portable oxygen concentrator. However, finding a supplier who will provide one under Medicare reimbursements is near impossible. For this reason here at DollarCannulaClub we offer the best equipment and solutions for many oxygen related problems. Our site is small and growing everyday with new products. If you need a solution not listed or easy to find on our site please email us at info@dollarcannulaclub.com or call us at 205-625-6334