She Left Her Oxygen Concentrator Behind When 64,000 Fled Washington’s Fires. Medicare Can Cover Another One Before the Equipment Clock Runs Out
When a wildfire forces you to abandon your oxygen concentrator and the house burns down, Medicare's five-year equipment clock creates a problem most evacuees never see coming until the denial letter arrives.
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Picture a 74-year-old oxygen user in north Spokane, Washington. With wildfires spreading, an evacuation order leaves her minutes. She grabs a portable tank, her pills and the dog. Her stationary oxygen concentrator remains behind, and when she gets back, the house is gone. In fact, Spokane County fires destroyed 700 structures and forced up to 64,000 evacuations.
After safety, her next worry is money. Medicare is already paying to rent that machine, and its five-year equipment window has years left on it. She wants to know whether Medicare will replace it before the five-year equipment clock runs out. When oxygen equipment is lost or destroyed in a fire, it can.
How the Equipment Clock Normally Runs
Medicare Part B pays a supplier to rent you oxygen equipment for 36 months. After that the rental payments stop, and the supplier continues providing and maintaining the equipment for the remaining 24 months. That adds up to the equipment’s reasonable useful life of five years. Once the five years are up, you get new equipment and a new 36-month period begins.
Replacing gear early takes proof. Medicare equipment contractors deny early replacement claims when the paperwork does not include verification that the equipment was lost, stolen or irreparably damaged in a specific incident, per Noridian.
Why the Federal Declaration Matters for Your Claim
On August 4, 2026, the federal government approved Washington state’s request for an emergency declaration. It covers Chelan, Ferry, Okanogan, Spokane, Stevens and Yakima counties, plus the Yakama Nation, the Colville Reservation and the Spokane Tribe. Medicare says its rules for getting care may change for a short time when the President or a governor declares an emergency or disaster in your area.
The federal green light helps loosen some Medicare rules during the emergency, but she does not have to wait for a major disaster declaration to replace the machine. Medicare already allows early replacement when equipment is lost or destroyed in a fire. She just needs enough documentation to show what happened.
If you evacuated to another city or state and have Original Medicare, you can use any provider that takes Medicare, even if you have to leave your city or state. Medicare Advantage members should call their plan first, because network and authorization rules vary by plan.
Replacement Still Carries a Bill
Coverage gets you a new machine, and the usual Part B cost sharing can still apply. In 2026, you owe the $283 Part B deductible if you have not met it yet. After that, you generally pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount.
The bigger surprise is the rental window. If your concentrator was past the 36-month rental mark, the monthly equipment payments had already stopped. Replacing oxygen equipment because it was lost or destroyed starts a new 36-month rental period, bringing the monthly 20% coinsurance back with it. Medigap Plan G covers that coinsurance after the Part B deductible. Before the replacement arrives, ask the supplier what Medicare will approve and what your monthly share will be.
Three Calls to Make Before the Paper Trail Goes Cold
- Call your prescribing doctor. Explain that the equipment was lost in the August fires. Ask for a new order and a chart note that names the device, your address and the date you evacuated.
- Call a Medicare-enrolled supplier. If your supplier’s office burned too, choose another one. Medicare pays only suppliers who are enrolled in Medicare. Your supplier marks the claim as a replacement with the RA modifier. Write down what happened, including whether you left the equipment behind or it burned, and keep copies of your evacuation notice, any fire or insurance loss report, and photos.
- Confirm the supplier takes assignment. An assigned supplier agrees not to bill you for any more than the Medicare deductible and coinsurance. That caps your bill at the 20% share.
The equipment window controls replacement in normal times. A declared disaster gives Medicare grounds to replace equipment you need before that window runs out. The documents you collect in the next few weeks decide whether your claim gets paid or denied for lack of proof.
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Gerelyn Terzo is the author of dividend investing handbook "Dividend Investing Strategies: How to Have Your Cake & Eat It Too." A veteran financial journalist, she covers agri-finance for outlets like Global AgInvesting and the broader stock market and personal finance for 24/7 Wall Street. She began at CNBC and later helped launch Fox Business in New York. Gerelyn currently resides in Woodland Park, Colorado and dabbles in nature photography as a hobby.
