What should I look for when choosing a hyperbaric oxygen therapy clinic?

Look for UHMS accreditation, a board-certified hyperbaric physician on staff, and a medical-grade chamber operating at 2.0-3.0 ATA with 100% oxygen. These three factors separate a legitimate medical HBOT facility from a wellness spa offering soft-chamber sessions at 1.3 ATA.

What is UHMS accreditation for hyperbaric clinics?

The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) accredits hyperbaric facilities that meet peer-reviewed standards for safety, equipment, and physician qualification. UHMS-accredited clinics have been formally reviewed. You can verify accreditation at uhms.org.

What's the difference between medical-grade HBOT and wellness HBOT?

Medical-grade HBOT operates at 2.0-3.0 ATA with 100% oxygen under physician supervision. It treats FDA-approved conditions and may be covered by insurance. Wellness or soft-chamber HBOT operates at 1.3-1.5 ATA with filtered air. It's not appropriate for FDA-approved medical conditions and isn't covered by insurance.

What are red flags when choosing an HBOT clinic?

Red flags include no physician supervision, soft chambers only (marketed as 'mild HBOT'), no UHMS accreditation, inability to answer questions about chamber pressure in ATA, and making cure claims for conditions HBOT doesn't treat. If a clinic can't tell you what ATA their chamber reaches, don't use it for a medical condition.

How to Choose a Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Clinic

There are two completely different things being sold under the label “hyperbaric oxygen therapy.” One is a physician-supervised medical treatment at 2.0-3.0 ATA with 100% oxygen. The other is a spa-adjacent wellness service at 1.3 ATA with filtered air.

If you need HBOT for a diabetic wound, radiation injury, or any FDA-approved condition, the first type is what you need. The second type won’t help and isn’t covered by insurance. Knowing how to tell them apart matters.

The Medical vs. Wellness Distinction

Medical-grade HBOT requires a prescription and physician oversight. It happens at hospital outpatient centers, accredited standalone hyperbaric clinics, and some military and academic medical facilities. Chambers operate at 2.0 to 3.0 ATA. Patients breathe 100% oxygen. A qualified hyperbaric physician supervises each treatment course. Insurance accepts prior authorization requests. Medicare may cover it for qualifying conditions.

Wellness or “soft” chamber HBOT operates at 1.3 to 1.5 ATA. The chambers are typically inflatable structures. Patients breathe filtered air or mild oxygen mixes, not medical-grade 100% oxygen. No physician prescription is required. No insurance covers it. These clinics are common in biohacking centers, sports performance facilities, and wellness spas.

At 1.3 ATA, the physiological effects are real but limited. The plasma oxygen increase is modest compared to medical-grade pressures. For general wellness, fine. For a diabetic foot wound or osteomyelitis, 1.3 ATA isn’t the treatment.

UHMS Accreditation: The Clearest Quality Signal

The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society accredits hyperbaric facilities that meet established standards for equipment, safety protocols, and physician qualification. Accreditation requires an on-site evaluation.

Search for UHMS-accredited facilities at uhms.org. This is the single most reliable check you can do before choosing a clinic.

Not all good hyperbaric programs are UHMS-accredited — some hospital-based programs operate under their hospital accreditation. But if a facility is UHMS-accredited, you have meaningful assurance that someone has reviewed their operations against recognized standards.

Physician Credentials

Hyperbaric medicine is a recognized subspecialty. Board certification is available through the American Board of Preventive Medicine, the American Board of Emergency Medicine, and other primary boards through the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society’s examination process.

Ask directly: “Is there a board-certified hyperbaric physician on staff?” A physician who occasionally supervises treatments as a side function of their general practice is not the same as a physician with hyperbaric board certification.

Some facilities use a physician who is technically “on call” but not on-site during treatments. For routine wound care sessions in stable patients, this may be acceptable. For complex conditions, ICU patients, or patients with significant comorbidities, on-site physician presence matters.

Questions to Ask Before Scheduling

Call the clinic before booking. Ask these specific questions.

What is the maximum pressure your chamber achieves, in ATA? A legitimate medical facility will give you a number between 2.0 and 3.0. If they describe pressure as “mild” or “deep” without a number, push for the number.

What gas does the patient breathe? The answer should be 100% medical-grade oxygen for FDA-approved conditions. Filtered air means soft-chamber wellness operation.

Is there a board-certified hyperbaric physician on staff during treatments? Yes or no.

Is the facility UHMS-accredited? If yes, you can verify it. If no, ask about their accreditation through their hospital system.

Will you handle insurance prior authorization? Legitimate medical facilities deal with this routinely. A facility that doesn’t accept insurance at all and isn’t a hospital-based program warrants additional scrutiny.

Red Flags

A clinic that can’t tell you what ATA their chamber reaches shouldn’t be treating FDA-approved medical conditions.

No physician supervision means no medical HBOT. Staff technicians and wellness coaches can’t authorize treatment courses, evaluate whether your wound is responding, or manage oxygen toxicity events.

Cure language is a warning sign anywhere on a clinic’s website. HBOT treats conditions. It doesn’t cure them. A facility claiming HBOT cures cancer, autism, or Lyme disease is making claims that aren’t supported by evidence and may be making regulatory claims the FDA has specifically acted against.

High-pressure sales tactics around package deals — “buy 40 sessions now at a discount before your physician evaluates your response” — aren’t how legitimate medical programs operate.

Hospital-Based Programs vs. Standalone Clinics

Hospital outpatient wound care centers with hyperbaric programs typically have the most credentialed teams and the strongest referral networks. They handle complex patients. They deal with Medicare and insurance daily.

Accredited standalone clinics can be equally good. The question is the same: physician credentials, chamber specs, accreditation status.

Don’t choose based on price alone. A $50-per-session discount isn’t worth it if the facility doesn’t have the physician oversight to safely manage a complication.

FAQ

How do I find UHMS-accredited clinics near me? Go to uhms.org and look for their facility accreditation search tool. You can search by state. For hospital-based programs that aren’t separately UHMS-accredited, search your state’s major academic medical centers and teaching hospitals.

Can I do HBOT through a wellness spa for an FDA-approved condition? Technically, nothing prevents you. But a 1.3 ATA soft chamber with filtered air won’t deliver the same physiological effect as a medical-grade chamber, and your insurer won’t pay for it. For FDA-approved conditions, you need medical-grade equipment.

What if there’s no UHMS-accredited clinic near me? Check hospital systems in the nearest metro area. Ask your physician for a referral — they may know of programs that treat patients from outside the immediate area. Some wound care patients travel for treatment when no local option exists.

Medical Disclaimer: This page provides general guidance on evaluating hyperbaric facilities. It is not medical advice and does not constitute an endorsement of any specific clinic or provider. Verify credentials and accreditation directly with any facility you consider.