Progress for Oxygen Access: SOAR Act Updates
This article was written by Bailey McCrary.
On Thursday, January 8, the House of Representatives Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee held a hearing to discuss 10 bills. These bills all focused on how patients could get care through Medicare. One of these bills was the Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform (SOAR) Act, the COPD Foundation's top priority bill about oxygen access.
We were excited to see the SOAR Act included in this meeting. Before the hearing, the COPD Foundation sent a letter to the subcommittee to support the bill. We also signed a joint letter with other oxygen advocacy groups and helped spread the word about the hearing to lung health supporters.
During the hearing, Thomas Ryan, president and CEO of the American Association for Homecare, spoke in support of the SOAR Act. He answered questions from lawmakers and explained why Medicare needs to change how it pays for oxygen services. These changes would help patients get the care they need to live full and active lives.
Lawmakers talked about the problems patients face today when trying to get oxygen:
- "While patients may still be able to obtain different equipment, they're often unable to leave their home except for a very limited period. Some do not have the appropriate equipment that would allow them to travel, even for something like a doctor's visit." - Representative Troy Balderson (Ohio - District 12)
Lawmakers also shared strong support for the SOAR Act:
- "Affordability goes hand-in-hand with accessibility, which is the centerpiece of the SOAR Act… Quality of care happens when we balance affordability and accessibility." - Representative Gabe Evans (Colorado - District 08)
The January 8 hearing was important because it gave lawmakers and others a chance to learn more about the SOAR Act and show their support. In early January alone, the bill gained three new cosponsors. It also received positive attention, including an opinion article and a social media post about oxygen access.
The next step for the SOAR Act is likely a "mark-up", or a chance to be reviewed and amended, in the same subcommittee before being "marked-up" by the full House Energy & Commerce Committee. The January 8 hearing was a big step forward and helped move the bill closer to becoming law.
We are very proud of our advocacy community for all the hard work that helped move the SOAR Act forward. This could not have happened without advocates like you. Please help us keep the momentum going by visiting the COPD Foundation Advocacy Action Center. You can send a message to your lawmakers in just a few minutes and ask them to support this bill. We will provide more updates as the SOAR Act makes its way through Congress.