[Corey]

How often do most companies go out to check the concentrators for maintenence, oxygen concentration levels, supplies? We are currently doing it every 90 days, but I have heard other companies go out every 6 months. Does anyone know the exact requirements or guidelines. I am interested to find out anyone's input.

Thanks,
Corey

[danielh]

You really just need to adhere to the manufacturer's guidelines as far as oxygen concentration checks. A lot of the manufacturters have changed the requirement to 60 days (possibly just to do us a favor) but we check ours every 90 days as well. 6 months is a long time to go without having direct contact with your O2 patient (checking on compliance with frequency and flow rate, smoking, caregiver situations, etc.)

[JoeyGraham]

Unless otherwise stated by the payer, you have to check the concentrator according to manufacturer guidelines. We have 1 payer, FL Medicaid, that requires a concentrator check every 90 days. Other than that, we've found that the majority of our concentrators require maintenance every 6 months. In fact, the new Invacare concentrators are supposedly "maintenance free". We do our checks every 6 months unless the patient is FL Medicaid, in which case we do it every 90 days. Of course, each time we do a tank or other delivery to an O2 patient, we go ahead and check the concentrator, so most of our patients get service a lot more often than the minimum requirement.

[SheilaS]

We have a check 3 months after initial set up, and of course there is the home visits for delivery between. But the actual checks (billable service) is done every 6 months in conjuction with DOS.