Am I a candidate?
Medicare and most insurers cover hyperbaric oxygen for diabetic foot ulcers when all of the following are true. Our team confirms each one during your evaluation.
- You have type 1 or type 2 diabetes and a wound on the foot or lower leg caused by it.
- The wound is Wagner grade 3 or deeper: it reaches bone, tendon or has formed an abscess.
- It has not measurably improved after at least 30 days of standard wound therapy (offloading, debridement, infection control, blood-sugar management).
Not sure which grade your wound is? Bring your most recent wound-care notes or ask your podiatrist; we can also evaluate it directly.
What treatment involves
Resting in a clear chamber, breathing 100% oxygen; plan on about two hours per visit.
Consecutive weekdays at the location closest to you.
Your provider sets the plan and re-measures the wound every 30 days.
Hyperbaric oxygen works alongside, not instead of, standard wound care. Throughout treatment we continue debridement, dressings and offloading, and coordinate with your podiatrist, endocrinologist or vascular surgeon.
The evidence
Hyperbaric oxygen for diabetic lower-extremity wounds is an approved indication of the Undersea & Hyperbaric Medical Society and is covered under Medicare's national coverage determination. Randomized trials and meta-analyses have reported higher rates of complete healing and fewer major amputations in appropriately selected patients.
Questions patients ask about diabetic foot ulcers
Will hyperbaric oxygen save my foot?
No therapy can promise that, and we will not. What the evidence shows is that for deep diabetic wounds that have stalled, adding hyperbaric oxygen to good wound care meaningfully improves the odds of healing and lowers the risk of major amputation. Your provider will be candid about where you stand.
Can I keep seeing my own podiatrist?
Yes. We work with your existing care team and send them progress notes and wound measurements. Many of our patients are referred by their podiatrist and return to them once treatment ends.
What will it cost me?
For covered indications, your cost is your plan's usual copay or coinsurance. We verify benefits and obtain prior authorization before you start, and tell you in writing what to expect.