What Is HBOT?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a medical procedure in which a patient spends a short period of time in a chamber of pressurized oxygen.
Treatment with HBOT can increase the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream to approximately ten times normal levels, resulting in an increase in oxygen delivered to body tissues. Most importantly, HBOT delivers oxygen to tissues that are otherwise being deprived of the required amount of oxygen
Benefits of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Numerous studies have demonstrated the benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for conditions including wounds and traumatic injuries. HBOT is also used to treat a variety of other medical conditions, ranging from serious infections to gas embolisms to a number of different neurological disorders.
Insurance Coverage and HBOT
Insurance coverage for HBOT varies based on an individual’s plan. Medicare currently covers HBOT for fourteen medical conditions.
As a treatment for:
- Acute carbon monoxide intoxication
- Decompression illness
- Gas embolism
- Gas gangrene
- Cyanide poisoning
- Acute peripheral arterial insufficiency
- Progressive necrotizing infections (necrotizing fasciitis)
- Preparation and preservation of compromised skin grafts
As adjunctive therapy for:
- Acute traumatic peripheral ischemia
- Crush injuries and suturing of severed limbs
- Chronic refractory osteomyelitis
- Osteoradionecrosis
- Soft tissue radionecrosis
- Actinomycosis
- Diabetic wounds of the lower extremities
HBOT and Neurological Conditions
While third party insurers may not provide HBOT coverage for neurologic conditions, a large body of medical literature is available demonstrating the benefits of HBOT for patients with various neurologic disorders. Positive outcomes have been reported for patients with the following conditions: stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and multiple sclerosis. In our experience, HBOT has been helpful for patients with all of these conditions.
