As fall begins and the current Congress starts to wind down to its ending on Jan. 3, 2027, advocates for the Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform (SOAR) Act are seeking a year-end surge of support.
H.R. 2902/S. 1406, bipartisan bills, “would address long-standing barriers and ensure more individuals can access the supplemental oxygen they need to survive and live independently — something that has become increasingly difficult under the current Medicare system,” the Council for Quality Respiratory Care (CQRC) said in a Sept. 15 announcement. “More than 1.5 million people in the U.S. with serious lung and heart conditions rely on supplemental oxygen, yet for far too many, access to the right type and level of oxygen for their medical needs is unreliable, delayed or simply unavailable. This includes portable, high-flow liquid oxygen that can be essential for people with greater oxygen needs.”
The CQRC pointed out that the bills also bring “comprehensive reforms and protections in place to improve access to respiratory care support and education,” while strengthening Medicare documentation requirements to reduce fraud and abuse associated with the respiratory benefit.
The SOAR Act currently has 69 House cosponsors and nine Senate cosponsors. Supporting organizations — including the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the American Association for Respiratory Care, the American Lung Association, and the COPD Foundation — are asking legislators to pass the bills before the end of the year.
“Your breath is your life,” said Anita Clos, Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation advocate and lung transplant recipient. “The SOAR Act will help people get the right oxygen when and where they need it, because everything feels impossible when you can’t breathe.”
