What Is HBOT and How Does It Work
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy involves breathing pure oxygen in a chamber where the atmospheric pressure is higher than normal. Under this increased pressure, your lungs absorb more oxygen than they would at sea level, which significantly raises oxygen levels in your bloodstream. In fact, during a hyperbaric oxygen therapy session, oxygen in the blood increases by 1,400% to 2,000%. This increased saturation enables oxygen to reach tissues that are poorly perfused or damaged and would typically not receive oxygen, which is a crucial nutrient in healing.
As oxygen penetrates deeper into the body, it helps:
- Reduce swelling and inflammation
- Activate growth factors and stem cells for tissue repair
- Support the immune system in fighting infection
- Encourage new blood vessel formation
It’s a safe, non-invasive treatment. Many patients find it surprisingly relaxing: you lie or sit in the chamber, breathe normally, and let the oxygen do the work.
Medical Conditions Treated With HBOT
Many people are surprised to learn that HBOT is an FDA-approved treatment for several serious conditions, most of which are covered by insurance when medically necessary. HBOT can also support healing in conditions that are not typically covered but may still benefit from oxygen therapy.
Conditions Typically Covered by Insurance
According to Medicare’s National Coverage Determination, HBOT is approved for several conditions when administered in a pressurized chamber. Some of the top examples include:
- Diabetic Foot Ulcers: Medicare may cover HBOT if you have a diabetic lower-extremity wound (Wagner grade III or higher) that has not healed despite standard wound therapy.
- Osteomyelitis (Bone Infections): For bone infections that don’t respond to antibiotics alone.
- Radiation Damage: After cancer radiation, tissues can lose blood supply.
- Acute Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: This condition starves tissues of oxygen
- Crush Injuries: When blood flow to a limb is severely compromised.
- Compromised Skin Grafts or Flaps: Often used in reconstructive surgery when healing is uncertain.
Conditions Not Typically Covered by Insurance (But Showing Growing Interest)
While many HBOT uses are approved and insured, there are several off-label conditions where a significant body of research exists, highlighting how Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy can help. According to several leading hyperbaric centers and latest research,these include:
- Long COVID symptoms
- Concussion or traumatic brain injury
- Lyme disease
- Fibromyalgia
- Post-surgical recovery
- Anti-aging and wellness support
- Athletic recovery. In fact, we see many professional athletes on a regular basis.
Evidence for these conditions is growing but varies, so treatment is often paid out-of-pocket.
Side Effects and Safety
HBOT is considered extremely safe when performed at an accredited medical facility. Most patients experience no complications, and side effects—when they occur—are typically mild and temporary.
Common side effects are mild and manageable:
- Ear and sinus pressure: Much like the feeling when flying, pressure changes can cause discomfort.
- Middle ear barotrauma: Some patients may need to “pop” their ears or may require ear equalization techniques.
- Temporary vision changes: Increased oxygen exposure can affect your eyesight, but these changes revert to their condition before hyperbaric treatment.
- Seizures: Very rare, usually in patients with certain health risks or conditions that require extra monitoring. In 27 years of operation and over 100,000 treatments, we have had one patient who had a seizure as a result of an HBOT treatment.
Because of these risks, treatments are carefully planned and monitored. Our onsite hyperbaric-trained provider assesses your health history, and tailors session length and pressure, while our certified hyperbaric technicians vigilantly supervise each cycle.
Insurance and Medicare Coverage for HBOT
Navigating hyperbaric oxygen therapy insurance coverage can feel complicated, but it’s manageable if you understand the key rules and work with specialized providers like Bay Area Hyperbarics. In fact, because we do it every day, we are happy to gather the appropriate documentation and submit it to your insurance company to receive a pre-authorization to enable you to begin treatment as soon as possible. We do not make the decision about what insurance will cover, but we advocate for you with your insurance company.
Medicare Part B covers HBOT for specific, approved conditions when administered in a medical-grade chamber. You may pay ~20% of the Medicare-approved amount, plus any Part B deductible. Coverage decisions are usually based on medical necessity and documented failure of standard therapy. Your medical records must support why HBOT is needed. Some commercial insurance plans align with Medicare’s conditions, but policies vary: pre-authorization is typically required, and we help you through the pre-authorization process.
Because coverage can depend on your insurer and medical documentation, it’s smart to work with a hyperbaric center that has experience billing insurance. Our experienced team can walk you through how HBOT works, the conditions we treat, whether it's covered in your case, and how we can help you start healing today.
Contact us or schedule your appointment today, and let’s take the next step toward improving your health with hyperbaric care.
