Industry Calls on Congress to Support SOAR Act

More than a dozen national healthcare organizations are pressing Congress to support the Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform (SOAR) Act, which would ensure Medicare patient access to life-saving oxygen therapy.

Sixteen leading patient, provider and professional organizations are calling for Congressional support and cosponsorship for the Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform (SOAR) Act (S. 1406/H.R. 2902), bipartisan legislation that would ensure people enrolled in Medicare who need supplemental oxygen can access the correct type and levels of oxygen needed for them to live full and active lives.

Key provisions of the SOAR Act include: 

• Removes oxygen from Competitive Bidding: This would allow for more appropriate and less burdensome oxygen options by creating a new payment methodology rather than relying on the CBP. 
• Ensures Access to Liquid Oxygen: The bill would provide access to medically necessary liquid oxygen, which is lighter, more portable, and can deliver higher flow rates than compressed oxygen tanks, enabling greater patient independence. 
• Requires Reimbursement for Respiratory Therapists: It would ensure that patients with supplemental oxygen have access to the services of respiratory therapists, who can provide crucial care and support. 
• Establishes a Patient’s Bill of Rights: The Act includes provisions for patient rights, including the right to choose their suppliers and receive clear communication about their services. 
• Creates Standardized Documentation: It would require CMS to develop an electronic template for providers to use, which would improve the prescribing process and help prevent fraud, waste, and abuse. 

The 16 organizations calling for Congressional support for the legislation include: AAHomecare, Alpha-1 Foundation, American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), American Association for Respiratory Care, American College of Chest Physicians, American Lung Association, American Thoracic Society, COPD Foundation, Council for Quality Respiratory Care, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR), Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, Respiratory Health Association, Pulmonary Hypertension Association, Running On Air, and VGM Group, Inc.

The organizations released the following joint statement on September 3rd:

“The Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform (SOAR) Act is critical to the lives of more than 1.5 million people in the U.S. with serious lung and heart diseases who continue to face significant barriers to accessing the appropriate supplemental oxygen equipment and services they need.

“Supplemental oxygen is essential for daily living – enabling individuals to do everyday activities like going to the grocery store and medical appointments and attending family gatherings. Unfortunately, many people, especially those enrolled in Medicare, struggle to obtain the right type and levels of oxygen, leaving them isolated and effectively trapped in their homes.

“A recent proposal from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to resume the competitive bidding program for supplemental oxygen could further limit access to care. The SOAR Act would permanently remove supplemental oxygen from Medicare’s competitive bidding program and establish a separate payment pathway for liquid oxygen and other oxygen therapies to ensure everyone who needs supplemental oxygen can get the proper kind and amount for living a full life. The SOAR Act would also ensure people who need respiratory therapy services can access them; establish an oxygen users’ bill of rights; and establish national standardized documentation requirements that rely on a template rather than prescriber medical records to make payments more streamlined and less subject to potential fraud or abuse.

“The SOAR Act would deliver major health and quality-of-life improvements for people living with COPD, heart disease, pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary fibrosis, people awaiting lung transplants, and other advanced respiratory diseases who rely on supplemental oxygen. Oxygen therapy can decrease mortality, reduce shortness of breath and increase exercise capacity while enabling individuals to receive treatment in the home and avoid facility-based care. Stabilizing the Medicare market would also strengthen the supplemental oxygen market for people with other kinds of insurance.

“Everyone deserves the opportunity to live a full and healthy life, so our organizations urge members of Congress to cosponsor and swiftly pass the SOAR Act in 2025.”