Your O2 saturation levels need to be below 88 to qualify for supplementary O2. If your O2 sats were measured while you were sitting down, and not doing anything, they should also be measured when you're up and moving around, walking. 93 is fine, if that's where they are when you're moving around; if that's when you're sitting, the doc didn't do you any favors.

I find that I have days that my 02 doesn't drop at all but something triggers it on some days. My Pulmo Dr. said she thinks it has something to do with the weather. I think for me it is when the barometer is changing from high to low or low to high. I am not absolutely sure. Keep your Oxymeter handy and keep a close check on your 02 level and keep a check on something different that is going on or something you are doing.

This is a situation where you need to take the initiative and ask for your sats to be measured both at rest and with activity. Sometimes docs don't think beyond the ends of their noses, and since this was a Primary Care doc, not a pulmonologist, s/he probably didn't even think about your O2 sats falling with exertion. Even if you don't have insurance, you do have access to resources like www.copdfoundation.org for information.

My dr. wanted me on oxygen, but his nurse said she had to see a reading less than 85 for insurance to cover it. I made several pictures from my machine in the 70's, but she said she had to witness it before she would document it. She made me walk and walk around the clinic carrying things.to see if it would drop. I dropped quickly to 69 and then she started screaming for someone to call an ambulance. I was mad at that point that she forced me to make it drop and then said we have to call an ambulance. Lucky I was able to use my rescue inhaler and get it back up in the 80's fairly quickly. I manage to operate fairly normal from 88 up

Normal 02 is 95 to 100. The pulmonary Dr. says 88 is low but It sure helps when I get to 91 or 92 and she said it was okay for me to use it then.