Missouri Medicaid to require firesafe cannulas
By HME News Staff
Updated 8:52 AM CST, Wed February 5, 2025
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Missouri’s Medicaid program, MO HealthNet, is now requiring DME oxygen providers to supply firesafe cannula valves to program participants, according to news reports.
The requirement, supported by representatives with the Springfield Fire Department, the Battlefield Fire District and the International Association of Fire Chiefs, went into effect Jan. 1 but will take time to implement across the state, according to the Springfield Daily Citizen.
“It’s really exciting for our area, especially for Missouri, considering that Missouri is the fourth (state) to recognize these devices through Medicaid, but it’s the first state in the United States to mandate their use for Medicaid,” said Shane Anderson, assistant chief of the Battlefield Fire Protection District.
When exposed to heat, firesafe cannula valves (also known as thermal fuses) shut off the flow of oxygen, preventing the spread of a potential fire. Fires caused or intensified by patients smoking while on oxygen therapy have been a problem for decades, according to SFD, exacerbated by the fact that up to 50% of U.S. citizens on home oxygen therapy smoke.
DME providers will be reimbursed for the cost of firesafe cannula valves by MO HealthNet as part of a fee associated with oxygen supplies, maintenance and repair. Anderson said each valve costs about $5.50.
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