Suction Pumps

Aetna covers home-model respiratory suction pumps (portable or stationary) as DME for members who cannot clear secretions due to throat/mouth cancer or surgery, dysphagia/aphagia, tracheostomy, or unconscious/obtunded states, and covers tracheal suction catheters and sterile water/saline as supplies for medically necessary suction pumps; respiratory suction pumps are experimental/investigational for all other indications. Gastric suction pumps are covered only to remove gastric secretions when normal GI emptying is not possible; portable wound suction pumps are only indicated when exudate exceeds conservative measures (and are not medically necessary if a disposable alternative exists); closed-system tracheal catheters require tracheostomy + need for a suction pump for tracheostomy suctioning + ventilator, while open-system catheters require tracheostomy and need for a suction pump for tracheostomy suctioning.

"Oropharyngeal suction catheters when used with a medically necessary suction pump"