Medicare does cover oxygen tanks, along with concentrators, tubing, and the oxygen itself, under Part B’s durable medical equipment benefit. After you meet the annual Part B deductible of $283 in 2026, Medicare pays 80% of the approved amount and you pay the remaining 20%.1Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. 2026 Medicare Parts A and B Premiums and Deductibles2Medicare.gov. Costs The equipment is rented, not bought, and your doctor has to document that you meet specific medical criteria before a claim will be approved.
What’s Actually Covered
Medicare Part B pays for oxygen equipment and accessories your doctor prescribes for home use.3Medicare.gov. Oxygen Equipment and Accessories That includes:
- Oxygen tanks and cylinders for gaseous or liquid oxygen
- Stationary and portable oxygen concentrators
- Equipment used to fill portable tanks at home
- Tubing, nasal cannulas, masks, and humidifiers
- The oxygen contents themselves, including refill deliveries
One important limit: only rented equipment qualifies. If you buy an oxygen system outright on your own, Medicare will not reimburse you.4Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Oxygen and Oxygen Equipment – Policy Article
Who Qualifies
Coverage is not automatic. A doctor enrolled in Medicare must prescribe the therapy after a face-to-face visit, and your medical records need to show that your blood oxygen falls below set thresholds while you’re breathing room air in a stable condition.4Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Oxygen and Oxygen Equipment – Policy Article
Medicare uses two qualifying groups based on either arterial blood gas pressure (PaO2) or oxygen saturation (SpO2):5Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. NCD – Home Use of Oxygen 240.2
- Group I: PaO2 at or below 55 mm Hg, or saturation at or below 88%, measured at rest, during sleep, or during exercise. If the low reading only shows up during sleep or exercise, coverage is limited to oxygen use during that activity.
- Group II: PaO2 of 56–59 mm Hg or saturation of 89%, plus a qualifying secondary condition such as congestive heart failure with dependent edema, pulmonary hypertension, or a hematocrit above 56%.
If your readings sit at 60 mm Hg or above (or saturation at 90% or above) at rest, during sleep, and during exercise, Medicare will generally deny the claim.6Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. LCD – Oxygen and Oxygen Equipment L33797 The test must be done when you’re stable, not during a temporary flare-up such as an acute infection. Incomplete or poorly timed documentation is one of the most common reasons otherwise eligible patients get denied.
What You’ll Pay
Once you meet the 2026 Part B deductible of $283, you owe 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for covered oxygen equipment and supplies, and Medicare pays the other 80%.1Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. 2026 Medicare Parts A and B Premiums and Deductibles2Medicare.gov. Costs That 20% applies to each monthly rental payment while the equipment is being rented, and later to each oxygen delivery or in-home service visit.
If your supplier accepts Medicare assignment, they agree to charge only the Medicare-approved rate, which shields you from balance billing. Confirm this before delivery. A Medigap policy may pick up part or all of your 20% coinsurance, depending on the plan.
How the 36-Month Rental Works
Medicare structures oxygen coverage as a five-year cycle: 36 months of rental payments, then 24 more months where the supplier still provides the equipment but the rental billing stops.3Medicare.gov. Oxygen Equipment and Accessories
Months 1 Through 36
Medicare makes monthly rental payments to your supplier. Those payments cover the equipment, accessories, supplies, maintenance, and repairs. You pay 20% of the approved amount each month after the deductible.
Months 37 Through 60
Monthly equipment rental payments end, but the supplier still owns the equipment and must keep it working, replace supplies, and perform maintenance at no charge for the next 24 months. Two costs continue:
- If you use tanks or cylinders that need refilling with gaseous or liquid oxygen, Medicare keeps paying for those deliveries and you keep paying 20% on each one.
- If a technician comes to your home to inspect or service a concentrator or filling equipment, you may owe 20% for that visit. These visits can happen every six months.
After Five Years
When the five-year useful lifetime ends, you can start a fresh 36-month rental with new equipment. If you take this route, both your stationary and portable systems have to be replaced at the same time.4Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Oxygen and Oxygen Equipment – Policy Article Or you can keep the existing equipment. If the supplier keeps ownership, the months 37–60 rules continue. If ownership transfers to you, Medicare still pays for oxygen refills on tanks and liquid systems but stops paying for accessories, maintenance, and repairs. For most people still on oxygen after five years, electing new equipment is the better financial choice.
Using a Medicare-Approved Supplier
Your equipment has to come from a supplier enrolled in Medicare, or you could be on the hook for the full cost. You can search for approved suppliers at Medicare.gov or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).3Medicare.gov. Oxygen Equipment and Accessories
Medicare also runs a Competitive Bidding Program for durable medical equipment in many metropolitan areas. If you live in one of those areas, you may need to use a contract supplier that won the bid for your region. If you were already getting oxygen from a non-contract supplier when competitive bidding took effect where you live, that supplier may be grandfathered in for your current cycle, but they cannot provide replacement equipment when your five years end unless they become a contract supplier.
Traveling and Flying With Oxygen
The equipment your supplier provides for use at home can generally travel with you if you’re mobile. Air travel is a different story. Your supplier is not required to provide an airline-approved portable concentrator, and Medicare will not pay for any oxygen equipment or services connected to air travel.3Medicare.gov. Oxygen Equipment and Accessories You can rent a portable concentrator for a trip from your supplier or a travel oxygen company, but the cost is yours. Expect roughly $200 to $300 or more per week.
The FAA requires that any portable oxygen concentrator used on a commercial flight meet specific criteria, including FDA marketing clearance and a manufacturer’s label confirming FAA compliance. Airlines must accept any concentrator meeting these standards, and a physician’s statement is no longer required by the FAA itself, though individual airlines may still ask for their own paperwork.7Federal Aviation Administration. Acceptance Criteria for Portable Oxygen Concentrators Compressed gas tanks and liquid oxygen containers are not allowed on commercial flights.
If Medicare Denies Your Claim
Most oxygen denials trace back to documentation gaps rather than a patient actually being ineligible. The usual culprits are test results taken during an acute illness instead of a stable baseline, missing evidence of a qualifying secondary condition for Group II, or a prescription that wasn’t signed before delivery.
You have the right to appeal. The first step is a redetermination request filed with the Medicare Administrative Contractor that processed the claim, and it must be submitted within 120 days of the denial notice. Your supplier or doctor’s office can usually help pull the supporting records together, and this is the level where most oxygen denials get overturned.