The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday amended the U.P. Government Servants (Medical Care) Rules 2011, to include oxygen concentrator and similar devices in the list of artificial organs. This would enable serving and retired employees of the State government to claim reimbursement when purchasing oxygen concentrators/continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)/bilevel positive airway pressure (BIPAP) devices, for health reasons.
U.P. has set ₹60,000 as the limit of reimbursement for oxygen concentrator, ₹50,000 for CPAP, ₹80,000 for BIPAP and ₹1.20 lakh for bi-level ventilatory system.
The reimbursement guidelines also state that only claims approved by the “doctor concerned in the prescribed application format will be considered”. Reports of medical investigations should also be attached. The applications need to be approved by a committee headed by the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) which will include two respiratory and pulmonary experts as members.
The guidelines add that after the “utility of the oxygen concentrator or other devices is over, the beneficiary government employee will have to deposit it with the CMO concerned”. “The CMO will submit it to the Director-General, Medical and Health Services Headquarters. This device will not be issued to any other patient. Complete accounts of all such plants will be maintained by the Directorate-General,” the guidelines said.