AQW 3081/22-27

Mr Stewart Dickson
Alliance Party
East Antrim

Tabled Date: 08/09/2022
Answered On Date: 15/09/2022
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health, in light of rising energy prices, what additional support is available to people who require medical machines such as oxygen machines in their homes.

Answer:

All patients prescribed home oxygen concentrators have the associated electricity costs reimbursed fully. After the first six months, reimbursements are made using a series of estimated and actual readings.

This system “self-calibrates” over time. However if patients are still concerned in the interim, they can telephone their actual readings to BOC (the supplier of the home oxygen service) on a monthly basis and this will ensure even greater accuracy.

In early 2022, due to rising energy costs, correspondence was sent to every patient who uses home oxygen to assure them that they would be reimbursed fully for any electricity costs associated with their concentrators and that if they were concerned they could contact BOC with readings and get a refund on a monthly basis.

Electricity reimbursement rates are continually reviewed and increased in line with external price changes.