News
In Comment Letter to CMS on Proposed Competitive Bidding Program Rule, Supplemental Oxygen Leaders Emphasize Importance of Patient-Centered and Market-Based Medicare Policies to Ensure Continued Access to Quality Patient Care
Supplemental oxygen advocates call on Congress to advance the bipartisan Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform (SOAR) Act (S. 1406/H.R. 2902) to permanently remove oxygen from any future rounds of competitive bidding WASHINGTON –– The Council for Quality Respiratory Care (CQRC) submitted comments on August 29 to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz expressing concern and offering…
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…
National Health and Advocacy Organizations Call on Congress to Support Life-Changing Oxygen Reform
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, 16 leading patient, provider and professional organizations are calling for support and co-sponsorship 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…
NEXT ROUND OF COMPETITIVE BIDDING: COMMENT PERIOD CLOSES
VGM Group, the Council for Quality Respiratory Care and Cardinal Health at-Home Solutions have all shared the comments they submitted in response to CMS’s plans to resurrect the national competitive bidding program. The deadline for submitting comments was Friday, Aug. 29. Key recommendations in VGM’s comments include: Key points made by Cardinal Health at-Home Solutions: …
World Oxygen Day: National Health Groups Amplify Patient Voices to Stress Importance of Oxygen Reform
WASHINGTON, DC – (October 2, 2025) – Today, in honor of World Oxygen Day (October 2), leading patient, provider, and professional organizations are amplifying the voices of people on supplemental oxygen to stress the critical importance of oxygen reform and the urgent need for legislative action. These advocates, representing the 1.5 million people in the U.S. who rely…
Lung Patient Community Calls for Supplemental Oxygen Reform
Mary was diagnosed with a rare lung disease at 40 years old. Beverly loves playing tennis but struggles to do so with an oxygen tank. Sarah’s active lifestyle depends on access to liquid oxygen so that she can leave the house for more than a few hours. These stories are similar to many more shared on Capitol Hill for the American…
CQRC OFFERS UP SOAR ACT AS WAY TO SUPPORT ACCESS TO NEW TECH
The Council for Quality Respiratory Care (CQRC) shared a letter with the House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee in advance of its hearing “Examining Policies to Enhance Seniors’ Access to Breakthrough Medical Technologies” to promote its SOAR Act. In the letter, the CQRC makes the case that the Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform (SOAR) Act (S. 1406/H.R. 2902) would: “Earlier…
SOAR Act Would Help Individuals Relying on Oxygen Thrive
For many, going to the grocery store, stopping by the post office, or attending a college class barely requires a second thought. But for patients like me who rely on supplemental oxygen, these activities require careful consideration about how many tanks of oxygen I’ll need to bring and whether I can make it back home…