National Health Organizations Call on Congress to Support Life-Changing Oxygen Reform
June 4, 2024
GLENVIEW, IL – Yesterday, 30 leading patient,
provider, and professional organizations
sent a letter to members of Congress
calling for support and cosponsors for the Supplemental Oxygen Access
Reform (SOAR) Act
(S.
3821/H.R.
7829), legislation that aims to ensure that 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.
The organizations, American Association for Respiratory Care, American
College of Chest Physicians,
American Lung Association, American Thoracic Society, COPD Foundation, Council for Quality
Respiratory Care, and Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, released this
statement:
“The Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform, or SOAR, Act is critical to the
lives of more than 1.5 million people in the U.S. facing serious health
risks because they do not currently have access to the appropriate
supplemental oxygen equipment and services.
“People with advanced or serious lung or heart diseases may require
supplemental oxygen to ensure their bodies receive enough oxygen to keep
their blood saturated and to allow their organs to function properly.
Unfortunately, many people—especially those enrolled in Medicare—face
challenges in getting the right type and oxygen levels.
“The SOAR Act would remove all oxygen services and equipment from the
competitive bidding reimbursement system and create a new reimbursement
system 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 access to liquid oxygen for patients for whom it is medically
necessary, 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 bring significant health and well-being benefits to
individuals 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. Stabilizing the Medicare market would also rebuild 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 support the
SOAR Act and quickly pass this legislation in 2024.”
About the American Lung Association
The American Lung Association is the leading organization working to
save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease through
education, advocacy, and research. The work of the American Lung
Association is focused on four strategic imperatives: to defeat lung
cancer, to champion clean air for all, to improve the quality of life
for those with lung disease and their families, and to create a
tobacco-free future. For more information about the American Lung
Association, which has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and is a
Platinum-Level GuideStar Member, call +1 (800) LUNGUSA (+1 (800)
586-4872), or visit
Lung.org.
To support the work of the American Lung Association, find a local event
at
Lung.org/events.
Learn more about the need for oxygen reform in our recent blog post
here:
Why We Urgently Need Supplemental Oxygen Reform | American Lung
Association.
About the American College of Chest Physicians and the journal CHEST
The American College of Chest Physicians® (CHEST) is the global leader
in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of chest diseases. Its
mission is to champion advanced clinical practice, education,
communication, and research in chest medicine. It serves as an essential
connection to clinical knowledge and resources for its 22,000+ members
from around the world who provide patient care in pulmonary, critical
care, and sleep medicine. For information about the American College of
Chest Physicians, and its family of journals including the flagship
journal CHEST®, visit
chestnet.org.
About the AARC
The American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC), founded in 1947,
is the nation’s oldest and largest professional association dedicated to
respiratory therapists and health care providers involved in
cardiopulmonary care. The AARC strengthens the profession, providing
excellence in leadership and education, advancing the art and science of
respiratory therapy, and advocating for respiratory therapists, their
patients, and caregivers. Fostering a diverse and inclusive membership
community worldwide, AARC is a not-for-profit organization headquartered
in Irving, TX. Learn more about us at
www.aarc.org.
About the CQRC
The Council for Quality Respiratory Care (CQRC) is a coalition of the
nation’s leading home oxygen therapy provider and manufacturing
companies providing in-home patient services and respiratory equipment,
including liquid oxygen, oxygen concentrators, and sleep therapy
devices, to Medicare beneficiaries who rely upon home oxygen therapy to
maintain their independence and enhance their quality of life. Learn
more at cqrc.org.
About the COPD Foundation
The COPD Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to help
millions of people live longer and healthier lives by advancing
research, advocacy, and awareness to stop COPD, bronchiectasis, and
nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease. The Foundation does this
through scientific research, education, advocacy, and awareness to
prevent disease, slow progression, and find a cure. For more
information, visit
copdfoundation.org, or follow us on
X
and
LinkedIn.
About the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation
The mission of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) is to
accelerate the development of new treatments and ultimately a cure for
pulmonary fibrosis. Until this goal is achieved, the PFF is committed to
advancing improved care of patients with PF and providing unequaled
support and education resources for patients, caregivers, family
members, and health care providers. Learn more at
pulmonaryfibrosis.org.