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New Portable Oxygen Concentrators Receive FAA Approval

Recently the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) added new portable concentrators to those that are approved for use onboard aircraft. This is welcome news. The newly approved portable oxygen concentrators include the DeVilbiss iGo, OxLife Independence, and Inogen One G2. These are added to the list of previously approved portable oxygen concentrators: SeQual Eclipse, Respironics EverGo, and Invacare XPO2.

If you purchased a DeVilbiss iGo or an OxLife Independence from OxiMedical prior to January 10, 2010, you should have received a FAA approval sticker in the mail, which needs to be affixed to your portable oxygen unit. All iGo and Independence concentrators purchased after this date have the FAA approval sticker.

You don’t have to worry about which airline you select because all carriers that depart or land in the United States must accept all FAA-approved portable oxygen concentrators.

Portable Oxygen Rule Takes Flight

HMENews | May 2009
YARMOUTH, Maine--Oxygen patients can board any airline with an approved portable oxygen concentrator (POC) beginning May 13, but they may still encounter a few hurdles.

Not all physicians understand the need for supplemental oxygen during flight, says provider Lou Kaufmann.

“I’ve had patients say, ‘My doctor said as long as I am not exerting myself, I’ll be OK (without supplemental oxygen),’” said Kaufmann, vice president, patient/client services for Bethesda, Md.-based Roberts Home Medical. “A patient who needs oxygen on the ground needs it during flight.”

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) last May amended the Airline Carrier Access Act, making it mandatory for all airlines to allow passengers to board using their own approved concentrators. Prior to the ruling, it was left up to the airlines.

While there are no extra charges to bring POCs onboard - medical equipment isn’t subject to things like baggage fees - patients must have a prescription and have their doctor sign a special form required by the airlines, said provider Sandra Hoskin.

“The documentation is all provided by the manufacturer,” said Hoskin, president of Houston-based American Medical Equipment. “We keep it on file and give it to anyone who is traveling.”

Oxygen patients will have more options when it comes to flying, particularly those who live in rural areas or along airline routes that didn’t previously allow POCs onboard.

“The small airports were saying no,” said provider Lee Guay, coordinator for Helena, Mt.-based Apex Home Medical. “They didn’t have the plug-ins on the plane and some wouldn’t take it despite the battery.”

Overall, the new rule represents a huge improvement for patients, said Dr. Brent Blue, CEO and medical director for Jackson, Wyoming-based OxygenToGo.

“Nobody should be required to stay at home because they need oxygen,” he said. “That’s not acceptable in the 21st century.”

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Have POC, Will Travel

May 2009 | HME News
As providers notify their oxygen patients about the new rule for flying with POCs, they’ll want to keep a few things in mind, sources say.

“Any airline that has a starting point or an ending point in the United States will be required to allow patients to use approved POCs,” said Kim Snyder, U.S. marketing manager, home respiratory care, Philips Respironics.

It may cost you

Despite relaxing regulations, passengers who use POCs onboard planes may still have to pay fees. Some airlines charge anywhere from $25 to $100 to cover clinical assessments.

“This has blindsided a lot of folks,” said Kelly Riley, director of The MED Group’s National Respiratory Network.

Don’t let the pressure get to you

Because cabins are pressurized to 8,000 feet regardless of a plane’s altitude, providers should explore whether patients, based on the severity of their condition, would benefit from a POC that can operate at higher altitudes, industry sources said.

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Oxygen and Air Travel

JULY 2008 | HME Today
Portable oxygen concentrators have been cleared for use during flight by the FDA, and these lightweight, easily transportable devices have opened up new vistas for patients with lung disease.

Over the past 10 years, there have been a number of important advances in home oxygen technologies, many of which have changed the way home oxygen is provided and how users live with it. Arguably one of the more notable events has been the introduction of the portable oxygen concentrator (POC). The POC is unique because it is the first self-contained, portable, self-generating oxygen technology. While there are numerous lightweight and highly ambulatory oxygen devices, only the POC blends the safe, efficient, effective oxygen production abilities of a concentrator with the portability of an ambulatory, small cylinder or liquid vessel. It is this combination of features and benefits that led to the approval of POCs on board commercial aircraft.

On July 12, 2005, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) 106 in the Federal Register (vol 70, no. 132). The regulation delivered the rules governing the use of POCs on board aircraft to the airlines, passengers, and oxygen device manufacturers. This important rule became effective in August 2005, and in the short time since its implementation, it has changed the lives of home oxygen users and the companies that serve them. It is estimated that 20% of Americans 55 and older are regular air travelers. Conservative estimates suggest the approval of POCs will add more than 50,000 new air travelers annually. As more long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) travelers hit the skies, clinicians can expect more questions regarding the effects of altitude on persons with lung disease and those requiring supplemental oxygen at ground level.

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Patients Win in New Airline Ruling

Approved Concentrators
These are the concentrators approved by the DOT that patients may carry aboard aircraft.

AirSep FreeStyle
AirSep LifeStyle
Inogen One
Respironics EverGo
SeQual Eclipse

08/04/08 | AARC

Oxygen patients will have easier travel, thanks to a new ruling by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) that says airlines must accept certain approved portable oxygen concentrators onboard flights.

AARC was a major player in the effort to get a nationwide ruling that would require air carriers to board passengers with any of the DOT-approved concentrators. AARC joined with other groups in the Airline Oxygen Council of America (AOCA), which spearheaded the effort to ease access to medical oxygen for passengers. Other organizations in the AOCA include the Alpha-1 Foundation and the U.S. COPD Foundation.

“For a couple of years now, airlines could choose whether to allow DOT-approved oxygen concentrators and many chose not to,” said Cheryl West, director of government affairs. “This ruling makes it mandatory for all airlines to let patients aboard with their approved devices.”

The new rule will make it easier for passengers to use medical oxygen during flights by requiring airlines to allow the use in the passenger cabin of portable oxygen concentrators that meet applicable safety, security and hazardous materials requirements for safe use aboard aircraft. Other types of devices meeting similar requirements that are also permitted include portable ventilators, respirators and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines. MORE...