Here at Iowa HBOT, we offer “off-label” hyperbaric oxygen therapy. The term “off-label” may sound sort of strange. According to the FDA, there are 14 recognized and approved conditions for which HBOT can be utilized.
These 14 conditions are considered "on-label" for HBOT:
Air or Gas Embolism
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Clostridial Myositis and Myonecrosis (Gas Gangrene)
Crush Injuries, Compartment Syndrome and Other Acute Traumatic Ischemia
Decompression Sickness
Arterial Insufficiencies, such as Central Retinal Artery Occlusion
Severe Anemia
Intracranial Abscess
Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections
Osteomyelitis (Refractory)
Delayed Radiation Injury (Soft Tissue and Bony Necrosis)
Compromised Grafts and Flaps
Acute Thermal Burn Injury
Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Internationally, however, there are 140+ recognized and approved conditions in which HBOT is utilized - what a difference! These “off-label” uses are the focus of our mission at Iowa HBOT.
Research and “off-label” uses of therapies:
In our healthcare system, pharmaceuticals can be utilized in an off-label fashion. And in fact, this is quite common. Off-label use often then triggers greater research, leading to FDA approval for that use.
Current research is showing that hyperbaric oxygen therapy may help in a significant number of conditions. And it is this research that patients are using to help inform their decision about when and how to utilize hyperbaric treatments. Research on the many off-label conditions that may benefit from HBOT treatments can be found here: https://www.iowahbot.com/research.
“Off-label” implications for insurance coverage
Iowa HBOT will be offering treatments for off-label uses only. Categorically, this means that our tanks are not covered by health insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid, which is why we use the term “off-label”. We hope that this process will change as hyperbaric therapy becomes more widely known and accepted. We do accept cash, check, HSA/Flex dollars, and credit cards.
It is not that on-label treatments are right and that off-label treatments are wrong; it may just be that the health care system hasn’t yet approved these new symptoms/diagnoses for which hyperbaric treatments can be utilized. Therefore, we look forward to seeing more research so that even more patients can access hyperbaric treatments.
To schedule an appointment, contact us at 515-421-4002.
And as always, our disclaimer exists and is relevant to this discussion:
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