Provider Perspective
Three Providers Talk Travel Oxygen
Jessica McMillan, Respiratory Care Manager, Meriter Home Health, Madison, Wis.
Equipment Offered: SeQual Eclipse, Inogen One, AirSep
Patient Charge: $250 for first week, $199 for each additional week
Damage Deposit Charged: $300, refundable
Training On-site
Must-Have Paperwork for Patient: Instruction sheet for equipment, travel sheet on steps to take to arrange travel
Support: 24/7 toll-free number
Percentage of Oxygen Patients Participating: 20%
Biggest Challenges: Initial understanding and acceptance from patients, having enough equipment on hand during peak travel times
"We actually have the patient contact the airlines and make sure that (the device) is OK and it's approved (so) that they can actually take the equipment onboard. They need to contact their physicians and also get a prescription. Then what we do is we schedule them a day in advance to come into our location and pick up the concentrator. We actually have a checklist that we go over with all of the different equipment, external batteries, the overall outside cabinet, the filters — so the patient knows this is given to them in good working order."
Lori Hutchinson, RN, RRT, Clinical Operations Manager, Memorial Home Services, Springfield, Ill.
Equipment Offered: SeQual Eclipse, Inogen One
Patient Charge: $110 per week, monthly fee available, no charge for existing patients
Target Patient: Patients that own their equipment or are from another provider
Must-Have Paperwork for Patient: Instruction sheet for equipment, equipment manual
Support: 24/7 toll-free number with on-call respiratory therapist, will find provider in destination city if requested
Biggest Challenge: In the beginning, dealing with equipment failures once patient was out of service area
Biggest Support: The MED Group members
"We've used our current staff, and I've even trained non-clinical staff. I do actually have an RT tech that maintains the travel program. When the concentrators come in, she's the one who's totally responsible for getting them cleaned and ready for the next person. She's done a wonderful job."
Tedd Ladd, Director of Marketing, OxygenToGo, Jackson Hole, Wy.
Equipment Offered: SeQual Eclipse, Inogen One, Respironics EverGo
Training: On the phone with respiratory therapist (for assessment to match equipment to patient and answer questions)
Must-Have Paperwork for Patient: All paperwork necessary to get through security and/or customs, any documentation needed for insurance (though the company does not bill Medicare or insurance)
Support: 24-hour customer support, on-staff respiratory therapists for medical advice, physician backup through sister company Dial-A-Doc
Airline Referral Partners: U.S. Air, Northwest Airlines direct travelers directly to OxygenToGo (plus company works with all airlines)
Biggest Challenges: In the beginning, the logistics of how to get units around the country and world quickly, attempts to convince airlines that portable oxygen concentrators save them money
"In some cases, our customers are referred to us from home health care providers. .... For them to attempt to reserve oxygen tanks on the way to the airport, at the airport, in the air, at layover airports, for potential delays and then at the destination is an incredibly expensive proposition for the home health care provider."
This article originally appeared in the Respiratory Management March 2009 issue of HME Business.