The bill enacts R.S. 46:460.76.1 to establish a pilot program by the Louisiana Department of Health that allows Medicaid recipients to utilize portable oxygen concentrators. Currently, Medicaid covers these devices for beneficiaries under the age of twenty-one if deemed medically necessary, but for those over twenty-one, coverage is limited to travel for medical appointments. The new legislation aims to expand this coverage, allowing individuals over twenty-one to receive portable oxygen concentrators prescribed by a licensed physician if they are mobile within their home or community, thereby improving their quality of life.

Additionally, the Louisiana Department of Health has the authority to limit the number of portable oxygen concentrators covered each fiscal year through departmental rules. The department is also required to submit a utilization report to the legislature prior to each session, detailing the number of requests for portable oxygen concentrators, the coverage provided, denied requests, funding utilized, and demographic information of the enrollees involved. This report will help assess the program's effectiveness and financial implications.