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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 medically necessary services are those that are reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis or 
treatment of an illness or injury. Medically necessary services include services to improve the functioning of a 
malformed body member. You can find this rule in the Social Security Act, Section 1862(a)(1)(A). 
 
The rules say that services that are not medically necessary are not covered. The rules also say that 
experimental and investigational devices are not covered. You can find this rule at 42 CFR Sections 411.15 and 
411.15(o). 
 
The rules say that program reimbursement for HBOT 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.  
 
The use of HBOT 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 HBOT. Continued treatment with HBOT is not covered if measurable 
signs of healing have not been demonstrated within any 30-day period of treatment. 
 
All other indications not specified are not covered under the Medicare program. No program payment may be 
made for any conditions other than those listed. 
 
You can find this information in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service, Internet-Only Manual, 
Publication 100-03, National Coverage Determination (NCD): Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (20.29). 
 
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.