This guide is written from the SWEP Domiciliary Oxygen Program page and Queensland Health’s MASS home oxygen page (last updated 14 July 2026), read 14 October 2026. For NSW, see EnableNSW.
Victoria: SWEP Domiciliary Oxygen Program
SWEP (the State-wide Equipment Program) runs the Domiciliary Oxygen Program (DOP). It gives subsidised funding towards oxygen equipment for adults and children who qualify under the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ) guidelines and Victoria’s Aids and Equipment Program guidelines.
Equipment
| Equipment | SWEP’s use limit |
|---|---|
| Cylinders | Intermittent use only |
| Stationary concentrators | Up to 24 hours a day |
| Portable concentrators | Intermittent use only |
Eligibility
You are eligible if you:
- are a permanent Victorian resident, hold a temporary or permanent protection visa, or are an asylum seeker
- have a long-term condition or disability, or are frail aged
- receive no other government funding for the equipment
- are not a hospital inpatient or a permanent resident of a residential care facility
- cannot claim the full cost through private health insurance
- have not been discharged from a public hospital or extended care centre in the last 30 days, where the equipment relates to that admission
You must be assessed by a consultant physician in respiratory (thoracic) medicine, cardiology or oncology. SWEP’s oxygen team is at swepoxy@gh.org.au.
Queensland: Medical Aids Subsidy Scheme (MASS)
MASS provides a mix of concentrator and cylinder packages for eligible Queensland adults and children, with supplementary packages of portable and backup cylinders.
What MASS does not fund
- oxygen needed only for nebulising
- portable oxygen for getting around the community, except in special circumstances
- oxygen for breathlessness without low blood oxygen (dyspnoea without hypoxaemia)
- oxygen for new or existing clients who are current smokers
You also cannot already be getting oxygen through a local health service or a Home Care Package.
Who can prescribe
- thoracic physician, specialist physician, oncologist or palliative care physician
- respiratory nurse practitioner with designated specialist endorsement
- in rural and remote areas, a GP with designated specialist endorsement
Prescribers apply through MASS-eApply, MASS’s online system, or on paper forms.
Reassessment
| Patient | Reassessment |
|---|---|
| Adults | After 4 months, then every 12 months |
| Children under 6 | Every 6 months |
| Children 6 to 15 | After 6 months, then every 12 months |
MASS must receive the re-application two weeks before the current approval ends, or the subsidy may lapse.
Power failure plan
MASS says every client should have a Power Failure Emergency Plan, using its form MASS 48. That pairs with registering as a life support customer with your electricity company: see life support electricity registration.
Queensland Health says the new Aged Care Act, which started on 1 November 2025, has not changed MASS guidelines or eligibility.
If you are not eligible
Buying privately is the alternative. Concentrators are GST-free when they meet the ATO’s conditions; see GST-free CPAP and oxygen and home oxygen concentrator prices.