[Steve Whitfill]

We have a client on 6-8 Ltrs who is out of state on vacation for 19 days. Am I reading the Medicare Manual correctly when I see that we are supposed to pay another supplier for the oxygen services needed for this client? It will cost way more that Medicare will pay us this month to supply liquid to this client. Is this the way others are handling traveling patients?

[Alpha]

I understood from a Medicare seminar, Region B, that while Medicare is paying during the 36 mos, the patient is responsible for payment while traveling, then we are responsible once they are capped. Seems backwards to me, but a lot of Medicare guidelines do!

[leejgbt]

Oxygen suppliers are responsible for the oxygen needs of their patients when they travel. The reasoning is that Medicare paid for a stationary system and a portable system for the month(s) the patient is traveling. The only exceptions are planes and travel out of the country.

That being said your only requirement is to provide the portability that is medically necessary. If a patient wants to resupply liquid when you can provide an alternative (like a portable concentrator) then the patient would be responsible. This will not work in the case mentioned above. If you are within the 36 month cap you can arrange for an alternative supplier to provide all the patient's oxygen needs for the Medicare allowables. If you do not bill Medicare for the month the patient is traveling then an alternate provider can bill instead.

The cap is not a factor when providing travel oxygen other than your company must provide for the patient's needs. Of course an alternate provider will not be able to bill Medicare.

As an independent supplier I urge everyone to be reasonable when charging for these patients as you might need to cover the costs for your patients who travel. The ideal would be to charge the Medicare allowable for these patients so we do not harm each other. Also, by not cooperating we play into the hands of the national companies who tout the portablility of their patients.