The Monthly Costs of Portable Oxygen and How to Save

The Monthly Costs of Portable Oxygen and How to Save

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The exact monthly cost of using portable oxygen therapy will vary, depending on what type of equipment you are using, as well as the model and brand. How much you will have to pay per month depends on your insurance company, or if any special payment arrangements have been made between you are your medical supplier.

If you have medicare, or a medical insurance company that works in much the same way, they will cover refills, the delivery of equipment, setting up the equipment, as well as maintenance. Accessories and other necessary supplies you will need will also be covered, patient education to instruct you on operating the equipment and more. These costs cover your equipment as a rental.

As of 2006, Medicare allows $7,215 for 36 months to cover oxygen concentrators that cost an average of $587 sale price. Every 4 months, suppliers do maintenance checks on concentrators and other oxygen therapy equipment. This is usually covered by the insurance company, and will definitely be mostly covered by medicare. If you are covered by medicare, you will still need to cover 20% of the cost.

How Portable Oxygen Concentrators Can Save You Money Each Month

It may be more cost effective to use a portable oxygen concentrator, or a stationary oxygen concentrator, depending on the dosage you need, and how many hours you need to use it per day. The highest setting that portable oxygen concentrators can go to is 3 LPM, and that’s only on some models.

If you need to use a high dose for just a few hours each day, a stationary oxygen concentrator would work. If you need lower than 3 LPM for many hours during the day, a portable oxygen concentrator would be perfect. Oxygen concentrators are cheaper, in the long run, because they don’t require the delivery of refills or the refills themselves.

Of course, you should never try to save money by dialing down the setting on your oxygen therapy. You should never change the dosage setting unless your doctor specifically tells you to. This is not the way to save money on delivery of oxygen if getting an oxygen concentrator is out of the question.

Exactly How Much Would You Save?

Ask your medical supply company how much delivery and refills cost per month, or look at an itemized monthly bill. Find out how much 20% of these amounts would be by multiplying .20 by the amount. That’s how much you are paying for these services.

Take that away, and compare it to how much you would need to pay for an oxygen concentrator. You would need to pay more up front, or course, but your insurance company will be paying for the bulk of it. Because it would be considered a rental, the insurance company must cover all maintenance and new parts if it needs it. You will also be required to get a new concentrator.

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Scott joined American Medical Sales and Rentals in 2008 as a Web Manager and Content Writer. He is a writer and designer. He is extensively trained on oxygen therapy products from leading manufacturers such as Inogen, Respironics, Chart, Invacare, ResMed and more.

Scott works closely with respiratory therapists and oxygen specialists to educate the community about oxygen therapy products, COPD, asthma and lung diseases. He writes weekly columns and is passionate about educating the community on oxygen therapy and respiratory issues.

About Scott Ridl:

Scott joined American Medical Sales and Rentals in 2008 as a Web Manager and Content Writer. He is a writer and designer. He is extensively trained on oxygen therapy products from leading manufacturers such as Inogen, Respironics, Chart, Invacare, ResMed and more. Scott works closely with respiratory therapists and oxygen specialists to educate the community about oxygen therapy products, COPD, asthma and lung diseases. He writes weekly columns and is passionate about educating the community on oxygen therapy and respiratory issues.

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