OXYGEN PUMP BRINGS FREEDOM DEVICE LETS USERS FILL TANKS AT HOME.

Byline: Brent Hopkins Staff Writer

The clear plastic tube of an oxygen tank no longer has to be a tether to a patient's house, leashing their lives to a flow of fresh air.

Home oxygen patients were once largely constrained to their homes, hooked to huge air tanks that had to be frequently replenished. Smaller portable tanks offered more chances at mobility, but users still had to conform their schedules to the whims of a delivery truck.

But as oxygen providers increasingly look for ways to cut down on delivery and inventory costs, a new model has emerged, allowing patients to fill their own tanks at home. With the freedom to fill at will, once-homebound oxygen users can get on with their lives in fairly normal fashion.

``If people are active and use the oxygen, they'll live longer,'' said Reggie Rodriguez, president and chief executive officer of O2 Plus, a San Fernando-based provider. ``How can you be active if you're sitting at home, waiting for the tanks to be delivered?''

He favors the Invacare HomeFill II system, relying so heavily on the rig that it accounts for the majority of revenue for his 15-month-old business. At $3,000 per machine, it's not cheap, but he says the savings in labor costs associated with regular tank delivery allow him to serve more than 200 patients with a staff of only four.

Systems like the Invacare model use a device known as an oxygen concentrator, which separates nitrogen from the air to build up a supply of pure oxygen. Users hook up small tanks that can be slung over the shoulder for portability, filling them with several hours worth of air supply.

``If you play golf, keep playing golf. If you go shopping, continue shopping,'' said Falih Audish, owner of Woodland Hills-based Apguard Medical Inc. ``Most patients feel once they're on oxygen, that's it, I'm done. But the more they stay at home, the more depressed they get. We tell them that just because you're on oxygen, it's not the end of the world.''

Providers make their money off Medicare and private insurance reimbursement, collecting a regular fee of around $200 each month. Unlike other medical services, like renting hospital beds or wheelchairs, there's no cutoff after a set period, so a patient can be a steady revenue generator for the rest of his or her life.

But with a pending cut in Medicare reimbursement, which often serves as the benchmark for other insurance, providers are increasingly looking for ways to cut down on costs. Rates could be sliced up to 20 percent in coming months, meaning that cutting the time, gasoline and payroll costs associated with maintaining a fleet of delivery trucks has become essential.

``We set them up and we only need to see them every few months,'' said Bill Kleiman, vice president of marketing for AirCare Home Medical in Van Nuys. ``We've got less deliveries and we cut our overtime. We spend more upfront, but we save on costs down the road.''

This has proved to be a boon for manufacturers like Chatsworth-based Chad Therapeutics Inc. The company first put a version of the fill-at-home system on the market in 1997, but has seen exponential growth in recent years so it now claims thousands of users.

``It's really a good time for consumers and also for a company like us,'' said Carla Laureano, Chad's marketing manager. ``It's forcing people to look at how they're doing business, so the ones who look at what's best for the patient will come out ahead.''

Since the system's fully covered by insurance, Barbara Conroy, a retired registered nurse, signed on four months ago. The former smoker feared her chronic obstructive pulmonary disease would prevent her from getting out to see her friends and prevent her from doing volunteer work, but she has been able to get out with an Invacare system.

``When I saw this, I immediately said, This is for me,'' the 73-year-old Arleta resident said. ``You don't have to sit at home and it puts you more in control of your life. It lets me take off when I want to, so I can still live a fairly active life.''

Brent Hopkins, [phone]

brent.hopkins(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Reggie Rodriguez, president of O2 Plus, stands beside the Invacare HomeFill II, which lets oxygen users fill their own tanks.

(2) The Invacare HomeFill II M-6 tank, left, is much smaller than the conventional cylinder portable oxygen system.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer