Posts by schmidtpa
CQRC Sees Momentum on SOAR Act as Engagement Deepens
ORLANDO, Fla. – The Council for Quality Respiratory Care (CQRC) is confident that it can work with lawmakers and regulators on its top priorities for 2026, including passage of the SOAR Act, says Chair Robin Menchen, who is also president and CEO of Rotech Healthcare. SOAR Act gains traction The legislation, introduced in both the House of Representatives and the Senate in April 2025,…
Read MoreCQRC: Medicare’s Oxygen E-Template Offers Available Solutions to Combat Fraud & Abuse
As E&C lawmakers examine policies to detect, prevent, and fight fraud impacting Medicare beneficiaries, CQRC calls for immediate adoption of the oxygen template for e-prescribing. WASHINGTON – The Council for Quality Respiratory Care (CQRC) commends the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, including E&C Chair Brett Guthrie (KY-02) and Subcommittee Chair John Joyce,…
Read MoreSupplemental oxygen patients need SOAR Act protections
You never think much about your ability to breathe until you can’t. For those of us needing medical assistance from supplemental oxygen, it’s always top of mind. And despite the urgency of need for oxygen users across the country, access to care is not always easy. Living with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) – a disorder…
Read MoreCommentary: Individuals struggling for oxygen need Congress to step up
I have hiked dozens of 14,000-foot peaks and completed nearly 800 deep-sea dives, so I am not averse to a challenge. Now living with a chronic lung disease, I face my biggest challenge yet: accessing the most basic human necessity, oxygen. Shortly after moving to Newport in 2015, I noticed that hikes became more physically…
Read MoreCongress Must Work to Strengthen Medicare Access to Lifesaving Oxygen
When our son came home from the NICU, he used supplemental medical oxygen at home. My wife and I saw up close that the right oxygen, delivered the right way, doesn’t just help a child breathe—it lets a family breathe easier, too. That experience turned a policy debate into something personal. Nationwide, more than 1.5…
Read MoreCQRC Commends House E&C Health Subcommittee for Highlighting Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform Act at Jan. 8 Hearing
E&C lawmakers set to examine policies for improving Medicare payment and access for American seniors includes bipartisan bill to reform the program’s oxygen benefit. WASHINGTON – The Council for Quality Respiratory Care (CQRC) commends the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, including House E&C Chairman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health…
Read MoreNational Health and Advocacy Organizations Call on Congress to Include Life-Changing Oxygen Reform in End-of-Year Package
WASHINGTON, DC – (December 12, 2025) – Today, 27 leading patient, provider, and professional organizations sent a letter to Congress to include the Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform (SOAR) Act (H.R. 2902/S.1406) in an end-of-year legislative package. The bipartisan legislation would ensure that Medicare beneficiaries who need supplemental oxygen can access the correct type and levels of oxygen needed to live independent…
Read MoreCQRC Commends CMS for Locking in Existing Savings for Supplemental Oxygen and CPAP Devices by Excluding Them from Next Round of Competitive Bidding
Supplemental oxygen leaders urge Congress to pass the bipartisan Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform (SOAR) Act to address outstanding patient access barriers WASHINGTON – The Council for Quality Respiratory Care (CQRC) commends the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for not including supplemental oxygen and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices and supplies in the next round of Medicare’s Competitive…
Read MoreAdvocates Ask Congress to Prioritize Medicare Oxygen Modernization in Honor of National COPD Awareness Month
Supplemental oxygen leaders encourage lawmakers to advance SOAR Act to remove barriers to care for patients living with complex respiratory disease, including COPD. WASHINGTON – In recognition of National COPD Awareness Month, the Council for Quality Respiratory Care (CQRC) is urging lawmakers in Congress to support comprehensive Medicare supplemental oxygen reform to stabilize the Medicare benefit…
Read MoreCQRC Commends W&M Health Subcommittee Leaders for Chronic Disease Care Hearing, Underscoring Need for Medicare Oxygen Modernization
In a letter to the U.S. House Ways & Means Committee, the CQRC applauds the Health Subcommittee’s focus on chronic disease management and urges passing the bipartisan SOAR Act. WASHINGTON – The Council for Quality Respiratory Care (CQRC) today sent a letter to the U.S. House Ways & Means Health Subcommittee Chairman Vernon Buchanan and Ranking Member Lloyd…
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