Posts by schmidtpa
Why passing the SOAR Act would mean no one has to breathe in uncertainty
Letters to the Beacon | May 16, 2026 When a loved one close to you has a chronic condition that affects their daily life, there are too many ‘what ifs.’ My sister managed Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) for 25 years and relied on portable oxygen to live life to the fullest, but it also…
Read MoreSupplemental Oxygen Access Reform (SOAR) Act Reaches 50 Bipartisan Cosponsors in Support of Respiratory Care Reform
Coalition of patient, physician, and provider advocates applaud legislative momentum WASHINGTON, D.C. | May 13, 2026 More than 13 leading respiratory patient, physician and provider organizations today applauded the growing bipartisan momentum behind the Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform (SOAR) Act (H.R. 2902/S.1406), which has now surpassed 50 cosponsors in Congress. The SOAR Act would ensure more individuals…
Read MoreOp-Ed: Help NYers with COPD by passing SOAR Act
By Karen Anzalone | May 10, 2026 Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform, or the SOAR Act, will help people with COPD and other diseases. When my dad had a serious exacerbation that forced him into early retirement. We were told he needed supplemental oxygen, and that’s when the reality of living with COPD really set in,…
Read MoreA Respiratory Therapist’s Plea: Why It’s Time to Pass the SOAR Act
By Nancy Colletti | April 23, 2026 As a practicing respiratory therapist for over 40 years and a clinical educator for the past 20 years, I have spent countless hours training patients how to manage their supplemental oxygen usage and devices. I’ve also been a caregiver to my father, who has been on medical oxygen…
Read MoreCQRC, INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS SEEK CLARIFICATIONS ON VENT POLICY
WASHINGTON, DC – The Council for Quality Respiratory Care (CQRC) joined stakeholder groups in sending a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) urgently calling for clarifying guidance for the continuing use criteria for both home mechanical ventilators (HMV) and respiratory assist devices (RAD) used by Medicare beneficiaries with chronic respiratory conditions. April 2026 is the month in…
Read MoreCQRC Joins Coalition of Stakeholders Urging CMS to Clarify Guidance on Continuing Use Criteria for HMV and RAD Equipment
With deadline looming, groups urgently request clarification on the National Coverage Decision (NCD), citing risks to patients’ access to respiratory equipment WASHINGTON, DC –The Council for Quality Respiratory Care (CQRC) today joined four stakeholder groups in sending a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) urgently calling for clarifying guidance for the continuing…
Read MoreIn Response to CRUSH Initiative, CQRC Offers Concrete Solutions to Preserve Program Integrity and Protect Patient Access
The CQRC submitted comments to CMS’s Comprehensive Regulations to Uncover Suspicious Healthcare (CRUSH) initiative, proposing opportunities to eliminate fraud and waste WASHINGTON – The Council for Quality Respiratory Care (CQRC) submitted formal comments in response to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Request for Information (RFI) on the Comprehensive Regulations to Uncover Suspicious Healthcare…
Read MoreCQRC 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…
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