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Hyperbare Zuurstoftherapie: Rapid Assessment - KCE

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<strong>KCE</strong> Reports 74 Hyperbaric Oxygenation Therapy 55<br />

5 THE BELGIAN SITUATION<br />

5.1 HISTORICAL CONTEXT<br />

Up to the beginning of the nineteen sixties there was no organized emergency care in<br />

Belgium. With the Law of July 8, 1964 on urgent medical assistance, the government<br />

aimed to start up the “Dienst/Service 900”. Under this law, the Ministry of Health<br />

donated a large number of standard and reanimation ambulances to the hospitals during<br />

the subsequent years. Ten hospitals (mostly teaching hospitals) also received a<br />

hyperbaric monoplace chamber. At that time, the predominant indications were acute,<br />

i.e. CO intoxication and decompression illness, for which one or a few sessions were<br />

sufficient. Therefore, the ministry, which already had financed the hyperbaric equipment<br />

itself, introduced in 1972 a relatively low fee for a maximum of two sessions. 131<br />

5.2 CURRENT RIZIV/INAMI NOMENCLATURE AND<br />

REGULATION<br />

5.2.1 RIZIV/INAMI fee-for-service system in general<br />

Under the RIZIV/INAMI fee-for-service system, hospitals register all specific medical<br />

acts and procedures in order to receive direct reimbursement from the national health<br />

insurance for that part of the cost that is refundable by social security. This system also<br />

determines what the patient will need to pay out of pocket. The whole set of rules for<br />

this registration and those payments is laid down in a so-called ‘RIVIZ/INAMI<br />

nomenclature’ that is in constant evolution.<br />

5.2.2 RIZIV/INAMI nomenclature for hyperbaric oxygen therapy<br />

5.2.2.1 Overview of codes<br />

In the RIZIV/INAMI nomenclature, reimbursement is provided for the first and second<br />

day through the following reanimation billing codes for ‘installation and supervision’ of<br />

HBOT. There is no financing for the following days (See Table 11).<br />

Table 11. Fee-for-service codes RIZIV/INAMI<br />

Code Amb/Hos Definition<br />

212516 Amb Installation of and supervision on oxygen therapy in hyperbaric chamber<br />

212520 Hosp (regardless the number of sessions): The first day<br />

212531 Amb Installation of and supervision on oxygen therapy in hyperbaric chamber<br />

212542 Hosp (regardless the number of sessions): The second day<br />

Amb: ambulatory; Hosp: hospitalized<br />

Source: https://www.riziv.fgov.be/webapp/nomen/ (accessed on 29 November 2007)<br />

5.2.2.2 Regulation on the application<br />

In theory, HBOT can only be charged when the patient is in a life-threatening situation<br />

(source: RIZIV/INAMI). There are specific conditions attached to this reimbursement,<br />

and hyperbaric oxygen can, for example, not be cumulated with a number of other<br />

procedures, such as neurodiagnostic, polygraphic and polysomnographic investigations,<br />

surveillance on hypothermy, etc. A copy of the detailed regulation can be found in<br />

appendix (in Dutch).<br />

5.2.2.3 Invoicing practices in hospitals<br />

The nomenclature code does not explicitly restrict HBOT to specific indications. As a<br />

result, it allows for broad interpretation. In daily practice, HBOT centres apply the<br />

codes in various ways. Some centres only charge the RIZIV/INAMI for hospitalized<br />

patients, because the invoicing is only allowed in life-threatening situations, which is<br />

often not the case for ambulatory patients.

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