Friends Rally to Cover Costs of Essential Oxygen Therapy: A Lifesaving Gesture

My health depends critically on continuous oxygen therapy following a double lung transplant.

I am eligible for financial compensation for the extra power consumption by my oxygen concentrator, and I have been getting quarterly payments of approximately £48 from Vivisol, which handles these compensations on behalf of the NHS.

Due to a flood in my home, I had to stay with friends and family for a year, and after a heart surgery, I spent another two months recovering at my daughter’s place.

Throughout this period, I did not receive any financial rebates, and Vivisol informed me that I would not be compensated while living away from my primary residence, resulting in my hosts bearing the cost of my medical needs.

SS, East Sussex

The rebate program is designed to safeguard patients who depend on an oxygen concentrator against rising energy expenses.

I noticed that the Vivisol’s website mentions briefly that patients are only eligible for compensation for using the device at their primary residence.

This policy seems unclear and potentially unjust. It’s obvious that individuals facing severe health conditions might need to relocate temporarily for various reasons such as recovery, respite care, or home renovations.

Expecting friends and family to cover significant medical expenses seems unreasonable, especially since the concentrators have an integrated meter to track electricity usage, separate from the household meter, making it easy to monitor associated costs.

Initially, I reached out to NHS England to inquire if this limitation was an NHS policy and if exceptions could be made in situations like yours.

They directed me to the NHS Sussex Integrated Care Board, which clarified that patients could designate a temporary address as their main residence through their service provider under such circumstances.

Following my inquiry, Vivisol agreed to reinstate and retroactively apply your rebates for the duration of your absence.

A representative stated: “Our communications do emphasize that eligibility is confined to the patient’s main residence. Following your feedback, we will review this to see if it can be made more explicit.”

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