I am writing to urge you to support the more than 1.5 million people with chronic lung and heart diseases in the United States, who face significant challenges accessing supplemental oxygen, by voting yes on the Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform (SOAR) Act (S. 1406/H.R. 2902). This bill is an essential piece of legislation, safeguarding individuals on Medicare who rely on oxygen treatment and services to survive and improve their quality of life.  

Supplemental oxygen is a vital necessity for many, with the potential to decrease mortality, reduce shortness of breath, increase exercise capacity, and independence. For more than a decade, supplemental oxygen has been part of Medicare’s Competitive Acquisition Program (CAP)—a system that prioritizes cost over care. This program has led to low reimbursement rates, which in turn incentivizes payers to provide the least expensive, often outdated equipment. As a result, many patients are left with bulky, ineffective oxygen systems, even though more effective technologies—like portable concentrators and liquid oxygen—are available.  

Members of the cystic fibrosis (CF) community are particularly impacted by this legislation. As a rare, genetic, and progressive disease most associated with harmful and sometimes fatal respiratory failure, many people with CF rely on supplemental oxygen on a daily basis. Without access to portable and high flow oxygen, many are left homebound, isolated, or dependent on others to participate in everyday activities many others take for granted. Additionally, without timely and appropriate safeguards, individuals are at a significantly greater risk for preventable hospitalizations, emergency room visits, and long-term health deterioration.  

The SOAR Act proposes a patient-centric approach by: 

• Removing all oxygen from competitive bidding;
• Increasing oxygen payments for liquid oxygen so that patients for whom it is a medical necessity receive access;
• Changing ‘home oxygen’ to ‘supplemental oxygen’ to ensure people requiring oxygen can live full lives outside their primary residence; and
• Establishing payment for respiratory therapists to ensure patients have access to their services.  

Everyone, regardless of whether they have private insurance or Medicare, deserves the basic human right to breathe freely and fully. The SOAR Act will help ensure that those who depend on oxygen can access the resources they need when they need it. Please stand with patients and families across the country by supporting S. 1406/H.R. 2902.