Medical approval for oxygen therapy

If you need oxygen for no more than 3 months per year, you can receive reimbursement for gaseous oxygen or for an oxygen concentrator. This can be for 3 consecutive months or for 3 separate periods of 1 month.

You can find the current reimbursement rates on the RIZIV website.

Conditions for medical approval

To be entitled to reimbursement, you must meet several conditions. We list them for you.

• Short-term oxygen therapy is prescribed for acute hypoxemia, hypoxemia in palliative patients, or cluster headaches.
• Patients with the status of palliative patient do not need a prior application to the advising physician. Once the status is recognised, they can receive reimbursement for oxygen therapy. The prescribing physician must indicate on the prescription that the third‑party payment system applies.
• You obtain the oxygen, the oxygen concentrator, and the accessories through the (hospital) pharmacist or through a supplier, on behalf of and in consultation with the pharmacist.

Requesting approval

You do not need to request this medical approval yourself. Your GP submits the application directly to the advising physician of your health insurance fund.

After approval, you do not pay any co‑payment for your oxygen. The health insurance fund then applies the third‑party payment system and reimburses your personal share directly to the pharmacist. For some items, such as a backpack, or for urgent and

If you have a respiratory disease, you can receive a device for oxygen therapy at home. You can use it long-term to receive additional oxygen. In addition, with medical approval, you are entitled to reimbursement.

After approval, the third‑party payment system applies. This means you no longer pay a co‑payment for your treatment. For consultations with the doctor, however, you still pay your personal share.

Requesting approval

Requesting medical approval for long‑term oxygen therapy at home involves 3 steps:

1. Contact a specialised centre.
2. This centre checks whether you meet the conditions to be entitled to reimbursement. If you meet all requirements, the specialised centre will request medical approval for you from the advising physician of the health insurance fund.
3. If the advising physician agrees, the centre can begin your treatment.