Billing Alert.

Q: Are there circumstances under which a nursing facility can bill Medicare Part B for oxygen supplies?

A: No, because oxygen and oxygen equipment are included in the Medicare benefit category of durable medical equipment (DME). This benefit is only available to beneficiaries who are still living at home.

According to the Medicare Part B definition, a nursing facility cannot be defined as a resident's home because it is an institution. Therefore, the nursing facility is prohibited from billing anything included in the DME benefit category, including oxygen supplies.

From Billing Alert for Long-Term Care, by Lee Heinbaugh, consultant, PMG, LLC (Cleveland), published by HCPro, Inc. (www.hcpro.com). Nursing Homes/Long Term Care Management bears no responsibility for the opinions/advice contained herein.