How to Qualify for Home Oxygen

Certain medical conditions may make it more difficult to get oxygen into your lungs and to your vital organs. Your physician may feel you would benefit from using oxygen at home. Depending on your condition oxygen may be ordered for use while you sleep or for continuous use. Some people only need to wear oxygen when they increase their activity level. Oxygen needs to be ordered by your doctor after you qualify.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. See your physician. Your doctor will do a medical exam, review symptoms and medical history. This will help them determine your respiratory problems. Some conditions which may benefit from home oxygen use are emphysema, cystic fibrosis, sleep apnea and lung cancer.

2. Undergo a sleep study. If your doctor feels you may have sleep apnea you will be referred to a sleep center for a study. Your heart rate, respiratory rate, eye movements and brain waves will be monitored while you sleep. Some patients with sleep disorders may benefit from using oxygen at night.

3. Measure your oxygen level. A sensor is placed on your finger which can measure the amount of oxygen in your body. Your doctor can measure your level with an oximeter at your office visit. Home oximeters can be purchased to monitor your own levels.

4. Perform an exercise walk. Your doctor may order a test where you will have your oxygen level monitored while you walk. Your time, distance, respiratory rate and oxygen level will be documented. This will help determine if you need oxygen with exertion.

5. Get an arterial blood gas. It is a blood sample drawn from an artery. It measures the amount of oxygen in your blood. It is more precise than an oximeter reading.

6. Review insurance benefits. In order to have oxygen covered by your insurance plan the company will require certain tests to prove you need oxygen used at home. Call your company to determine what tests you need and inform your doctor if they have not been ordered.