The Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform Act promises to revolutionize how Medicare beneficiaries access vital oxygen therapy. Liquid oxygen modalities remain a necessity for individuals who require high liter flows; however, Current Medicare rates are too low to support providing liquid oxygen. 

This bipartisan legislation would enact the following reforms to improve access to care: 

• Stabilize the supplemental oxygen benefit by removing it from future rounds of Medicare’s competitive bidding program.
• Support patient access to home respiratory treatments in rural and other areas outside of densely populated urban areas by permanently extending Medicare's 50-50 blended rate in the CY 2021 DMEPOS Fee Schedule final rule.
• Address patient access issues related to supplemental liquid oxygen by establishing a separate payment rate for liquid oxygen.
• Recognize the important role of respiratory therapist services by establishing an add-on to support their work with patients, consistent with state laws.
• Focus Medicare audits on actual fraud and abuse by requiring Medicare to adopt an oxygen “template” for documentation in lieu of requiring physicians to turn over their patients' private medical records.

Numerous patient, provider, physicians, and stakeholder advocacy groups support the SOAR Act. To read the letter sent by CQRC and 30+ respiratory and pulmonary organizations urging Congress to sponsor the SOAR Act, CLICK HERE.