Every breath can be a struggle for people living with chronic respiratory conditions, like my late mom, who battled chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for years and came to rely heavily on supplemental oxygen toward the end of her life to remain stable as her disease progressed. 

Having access to supplemental medical oxygen thankfully allows people who otherwise suffer mightily or literally can’t get out of bed to spend time with friends and loved ones, maintain some level of normal activity, and avoid the risks and complications of constant, costly ER and hospital visits.

COPD is a nasty and terrifying condition to try to live with. Those who suffer have enough problems, and having to worry about whether or not they can access oxygen is just inhumane and unacceptable.

Yet for Medicare patients with COPD, access to supplemental oxygen has unfortunately become tangled in bureaucratic red tape and unstable payment models, which prevent some at-risk patients from receiving the correct level and type of supplemental oxygen therapy they need to appropriately manage their condition.

Complex payment systems, like Medicare’s competitive bidding program, reimbursement cuts, and outdated regulatory requirements, unfortunately, lead to problems for COPD patients like my mom. Further, the current Medicare benefit lacks some much-needed patient safeguards and fails to recognize the critical role of respiratory therapists in the lives of patients.

For patients with the most severe and chronic respiratory illnesses who require a higher flow of medical oxygen, some modalities of care, like liquid oxygen, are essentially unavailable in most parts of the country. Unacceptable. 

But a solution is on the horizon: commonsense and comprehensive reform of Medicare’s supplemental oxygen benefit.

The Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform (SOAR) Act (S.1406/H.R. 2902) is bipartisan, bicameral legislation that would help more patients with COPD access a clinically appropriate level of care at the right time and with the right support. Beyond COPD, the bill would help countless patients living with pulmonary fibrosis, heart disease, pulmonary hypertension, and other chronic conditions that require medical oxygen support.

Endorsed by leading patient advocacy organizations, physicians, medical societies, and oxygen suppliers, the SOAR Act would implement reforms to eliminate supplemental oxygen from Medicare’s competitive bidding program and enable more suppliers to offer a variety of supplemental oxygen treatments, such as liquid oxygen. Further, the SOAR Act would stabilize the current Medicare rates for supplemental oxygen, protecting the community from harmful cuts.

The bill also puts in place vital patient protections and standards so more individuals can better understand their oxygen care and their rights as a Medicare beneficiary. Importantly, it would also ensure greater patient choice and access to greater clinical support.

Enacting this legislation would strengthen care for chronic respiratory and pulmonary conditions and enhance the lives of patients and their families. That’s why I’m speaking out to advocate for the SOAR Act – so people with COPD and the many folks I know who struggle with it and other terrifying oxygen-limiting conditions can take comfort knowing that the critical care they need will be there for them when they need it.

The SOAR Act is a solid and critically needed piece of legislation that directly impacts some of the sickest and most vulnerable among us. 

Lawmakers in Congress should join this bill’s lead sponsors – U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Mark Warner (D-VA), and U.S. Reps. David Valadao (R-Calif.), Julia Brownley (D-Calif.), Adrian Smith (R-Neb.), and Gabe Evans (R-Colo.) – and cosponsor this legislation to ensure it gains the support it needs. By passing it, Congress can improve access, support patient independence, and enable better quality of life, not to mention peace of mind for millions of patients.