State

/ Territory

Concentrator provided?

Portable provided?

Electricity

 Subsidies?

Cost to patient

NSW

 Yes

No

Yes

·    Administration throughout NSW is through each District Health Service and may not be consistent. For instance Central Coast Health provides concentrators only; cylinders are given to babies/children only. Under no circumstances are cylinders given to adults. A means-test is applied to clients for financial eligibility.

·         Some hospitals will cover the cost of home O2 for the first month but this varies between the area health services.

·         Oxygen has been raised by a clinical expert reference group at NSW Health as an area of importance and a working group is planned for the future.

SA

Yes

Yes 4 cylinders per month, and either a regulator or a conserver, plus free delivery per month

Yes / based on prescription prorata and also welfare status (patients eligible for reimbursement must have a health benefits card)

·        Through the major state hospitals (metropolitan) including conserver if patient is a suitable case. Country hospital covers rural patients.

·        TSANZ criteria for home oxygen.

·        No cost to DVA or community patients if they meet above criteria.

·        Patients responsible for any extra cylinders and deliveries beyond monthly quota.

·      ·        Patients in residential care will receive equipment at the cost of the residential care facility, who, in turn, will be reimbursed from Commonwealth funding

NT

Yes, if on 15 hours + per day

Yes 4 cylinders per month + free delivery per month

Centrelink Pensioner discount only

Government funding for all aged or disability pensioners and palliative care clients.  TSANZ criteria for home oxygen.

QLD

Free to those who fit criteria. If required higher then 5 ltrs/min then 2 or more are available.

For low requirements 4 E size cylinders a month

MASS does not provide adult portable oxygen for community access, but provides one filled E, or two filled CL or C size cylinders/6 mths as back up for power failures – refilled at patient’s expense

Portable only to children

Yes

·        Applicants may be required to partially fund some equipment and aids.

·        Waiting lists may be present for some equipment and aids.

·        Retrospective payment refunds are not available.

WA

Yes

Unlimited

No

Paid for by Silver Chain if in the City or by local health districts if rural or remote.

TAS

Yes

Southern region: an exercise walking test is required to fit the criteria. To allow 1 hour / day

Number is dependent Ltrs/Min req.

Northern region: as determined to be clinically appropriate by Respiratory Unit

Yes

In the South of state patients need to fit the selection criteria to obtain an oxygen concentrator and fit the exercise criteria to obtain an oxygen cylinder which allows 1 hour of exercise per day. The exercise test has to show an improvement with oxygen in oxygen saturation and distance walked to obtain a cylinder. Patients requiring oxygen for palliative care do not have to fit the criteria This is supplied through the hospital at no cost to patient

VIC

Yes - supplied free of charge to all who qualify according to Australian Guidelines. 

Nocturnal oxygen is also supplied free of charge to those who qualify according to Australian guidelines

1.) Supplied free of charge to patients who qualify for LTOT (long term oxygen therapy) - in addition to concentrator - if a need is demonstrated -  needs to be requested

2.) Supplied to patients who do not qualify for LTOT but desaturate to <88% with exercise test and demonstrate an improvement on oxygen during an exercise test.  DVA - portable oxygen cylinders are provided if patients desaturate to <90% on exercise testing and demonstrate an improvement on oxygen during an exercise test.

Yes – to pensioners, health-card holders and DVA (Gold Card)

Maximum value of $200 per month for cylinders (+/- a concentrator) – except DVA.

DVA

Yes

Up to 3 at any one time

See States

No Cost.  Note: DVA does differ throughout the states slightly, providing more flexibility and access to portable cylinders.