CQRC 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 Bidding Program (CBP) in the Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program Updates for CY 2026. Listening to concerns outlined by the CQRC and other oxygen stakeholders, Medicare’s decision to omit supplemental oxygen and CPAP and associated supplies from the CBP next year will lock in previous savings while protecting patient access to life-sustaining oxygen supplies and services.

“We commend the Administration for recognizing and responding to our concerns and not including supplemental oxygen and CPAP in the competitive bidding program in 2026,” said Robin Menchen, CQRC Chair. “Each day, some 1.5 million Americans rely on home respiratory therapy, including supplemental oxygen, to treat their conditions, improve their quality of life, and maintain their independence. The CQRC applauds CMS’s decision to leave oxygen and CPAP out of the CBP to preserve access to home-based respiratory care for these beneficiaries.”

Finally, to further refine the supplemental oxygen benefit and proactively address remaining barriers to patient access, CQRC strongly supports the bipartisan Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform (SOAR) Act (S. 1406/H.R. 2902) – also championed by patient, patient advocacy, disease, and physician groups nationwide. The SOAR Act would strengthen fraud and abuse policies, implement patient protections, support access to respiratory therapy services, and strengthen access to supplemental oxygen care in rural and underserved communities. 

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The Council for Quality Respiratory Care (CQRC) is a coalition of the nation’s leading home oxygen therapy providers and manufacturing companies providing in-home patient services and respiratory equipment including liquid oxygen, oxygen concentrators, and sleep therapy devices to Medicare beneficiaries who rely upon home oxygen therapy to maintain their independence and enhance their quality of life. Learn more at cqrc.org.