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Decision: unknown

 
The rules say that plans must pay for a medical service or item if regular Medicare would pay for it in this case. 
You can find this rule at 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 422.101. 
 
The rules say that program reimbursement for hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy will be limited to that which 
is administered in a chamber (including the one man unit) and is limited to the following conditions: 
 
1. Acute carbon monoxide intoxication, 
2. Decompression illness, 
3. Gas embolism, 
4. Gas gangrene, 
5. Acute traumatic peripheral ischemia. HBO therapy is a valuable adjunctive treatment to be used in 
combination with accepted standard therapeutic measures when loss of function, limb, or life is threatened. 
6. Crush injuries and suturing of severed limbs. As in the previous conditions, HBO therapy would be an 
adjunctive treatment when loss of function, limb, or life is threatened. 
7. Progressive necrotizing infections (necrotizing fasciitis), 
8. Acute peripheral arterial insufficiency, 
9. Preparation and preservation of compromised skin grafts (not for primary management of wounds), 
10. Chronic refractory osteomyelitis, unresponsive to conventional medical and surgical management, 
11. Osteoradionecrosis as an adjunct to conventional treatment, 
12. Soft tissue radionecrosis as an adjunct to conventional treatment, 
13. Cyanide poisoning, 
14. Actinomycosis, only as an adjunct to conventional therapy when the disease process is refractory to 
antibiotics and surgical treatment, 
15. Diabetic wounds of the lower extremities in patients who meet the following three criteria: 
 
a. Patient has type I or type II diabetes and has a lower extremity wound that is due to diabetes; 
b. Patient has a wound classified as Wagner grade III or higher; and 
c. Patient has failed an adequate course of standard wound therapy. 
 
You can find this rule in National Coverage Determination (NCD) for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (20.29) - 
Effective June 19, 2006. 
 The rules say that the use of HBO therapy is covered as adjunctive therapy only after there are no measurable 
signs of healing for at least 30 days of treatment with standard wound therapy and must be used in addition to 
standard wound care. Standard wound care in patients with diabetic wounds includes: assessment of a patients 
vascular status and correction of any vascular problems in the affected limb if possible, optimization of 
nutritional status, optimization of glucose control, debridement by any means to remove devitalized tissue, 
maintenance of a clean, moist bed of granulation tissue with appropriate moist dressings, appropriate off-
loading, and necessary treatment to resolve any infection that might be present. Failure to respond to standard 
wound care occurs when there are no measurable signs of healing for at least 30 consecutive days. Wounds 
must be evaluated at least every 30 days during administration of HBO therapy. Continued treatment with HBO 
therapy is not covered if measurable signs of healing have not been demonstrated within any 30-day period of 
treatment. You can find this rule in National Coverage Determination (NCD) for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy 
(20.29) - Effective June 19, 2006. 
 
 
If you want to read these Medicare rules, you can go to this website www.medicareappeal.com. 
 
The Plan contract says that the Plan covers items and services in accordance with Medicare rules.