In The News
Living with Alpha-1 and supplemental oxygen: Why we need the SOAR Act | Guest column
I live with Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (Alpha-1)—a rare, progressive condition that affects the lungs and liver. While very few people have heard of Alpha-1, it has an enormous impact on individuals and families across Virginia. Following years of exposure to toxins like asbestos through my family’s work, my lungs were extremely compromised. When I was…
Read MoreCongress should protect patient access to oxygen through Medicare reforms
I’ve spent years caring for patients battling severe lung disease as a pulmonologist and sleep specialist, prescribing supplemental oxygen countless times and witnessing the life-changing impact it has on patients and families. I believe anyone who needs oxygen therapy at home should be able to access it—but this, sadly, is not the case for all…
Read MoreHow the SOAR Act Can Help Patients Breathe Easier
After having COVID-19 in 2021, I began experiencing consistent shortness of breath. Everyday activities like gardening started to leave me winded. Numerous trips to the emergency room and doctors’ visits concluded everything from anxiety to longterm-COVID. Until finally, a simple breathing test offered a life-altering diagnosis. I was diagnosed with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (Alpha-1), a…
Read MoreMy daughter shouldn’t have to fight for oxygen | Opinion
Oxygen keeps my daughter Lily alive. Policy holds her back. As a pediatric intensive care unit nurse, I’ve spent my career caring for children with complex medical needs. I thought I understood what it means to navigate the health care system − until my young daughter Lily was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension: a serious condition…
Read MoreHow my Alpha-1 diagnosis led me to SOAR Act advocacy
As a lifelong runner and veteran of the U.S. military, I’ve always thrived on being active and enjoying the interests I prioritize, including traveling and spending time with my wife, children and grandchildren. So, when I first had trouble breathing while mowing the yard and completing my daily tasks, I knew something wasn’t right. After…
Read MoreAll Kansas leaders should join Roger Marshall to help COPD patients breathe | Opinion
In Kansas, there are more than 140,000 people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is a progressive lung disease that causes damage to the lungs and makes it more difficult to breathe over time. I am one of those people. My experience shows the challenges many COPD patients face to access the care…
Read MoreIndustry Letter Urges U.S. House to Advance SOAR Act
July 2, 2026 by Laurie Watanabe Three industry organizations are urging the U.S. House Committee on Energy & Commerce to advance H.R. 2902, the Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform (SOAR) Act before Congress’s August recess. The American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare), the Council for Quality Respiratory Care (CQRC) and VGM & Associates cowrote a June 30 letter…
Read MoreStakeholders urge House committee to advance SOAR Act
AAHomecare, the Council for Quality Respiratory Care (CQRC) and the VGM Group are urging leaders of the House Energy & Commerce Committee to take up and pass the Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform Act (SOAR Act) before the August recess. In a June 30 letter to Chair Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., and Ranking Member Frank Pallone, D-N.J., the organizations said H.R. 2902should move independently…
Read MoreShields Up!
Policy experts on CMS’s newly proactive strategy against fraud. June 9, 2026 | Laurie Watanabe Combating Medicare fraud is hardly a new topic to the durable and home medical equipment industry (DME/HME). What does change from administration to administration is how the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) chooses to fight fraud.The most recent CMS…
Read MoreLawmakers should support SOAR Act to improve respiratory care | Opinion
Better support for oxygen services and better access to respiratory therapists would mean better health outcomes for patients throughout Maine. By Keith Siegel | June 1, 2026 For over four decades, I’ve helped people breathe easier as a respiratory therapist. I evaluate medical oxygen equipment, flow levels and symptoms to understand patients’ needs. Helping patients…
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