AARC Celebrates Introduction of the SOAR Act in the 119th Congress

Bill passage key to supplemental oxygen access and adequate reimbursement

IRVING, TEXAS / ACCESS Newswire / April 11, 2025 / The Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform Act (SOAR) of 2025 was introduced in the U.S. House by Representatives David Valadao (R-CA), Julia Brownley (D-CA), Adrian Smith (R-MO), and Gabe Evans (R-CO) and in the Senate by Senators Bill Cassidy, MD (R-LA), Mark Warner (D-VA), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). The legislation would ease access to supplemental oxygen for Medicare beneficiaries. The SOAR Act would establish a new payment methodology for liquid oxygen and for supplemental oxygen patients to access respiratory therapists.

More than 1.5 million people across the U.S. face unparalleled challenges in accessing oxygen, which their lives depend on. These roadblocks are largely caused by an inadequate Medicare reimbursement system and a lack of access to the skills respiratory therapists can provide to oxygen-dependent patients. The SOAR Act would help address these issues.

AARC prioritized the introduction of this legislation in 2024 and worked closely with a coalition comprised of more than 30 patient organizations, providers and industry but with budget constraints the legislation did not pass during the 118^th Congressional session. In 2025, AARC’s Political Action Contact Team (PACT) members are regularly meeting with congressional members to discuss the Four Pillars for Oxygen Reform and to make passage of this important legislation a reality to improve the health and well-being of respiratory patients throughout the country.

AARC member and PACT Co-Chair, Theresa Cantu, MSRC, RRT, RRT-NPS, AE-C shared, “We are grateful to Representative Valadao for again sponsoring this bill and his important leadership on this initiative. It is with his help that patients will have access to care provided by a respiratory therapist when they are placed on supplemental oxygen and in need.”

Recognizing respiratory therapists and their crucial work in improving healthy patient outcomes is another key component of this legislation. “Advocating for improved patient access to respiratory care outside the acute care setting would allow those who need oxygen to lead fuller and more robust lives without financial hardship worries,” said AARC President Dana Evans, MHA, RRT, RRT-NPS, FACHE, FAARC, FNAP.

“We look forward to continuing to work with our coalition partners, the House and the Senate, to turn these necessary policy changes into law in 2025.”

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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 respiratory therapists, their patients, and caregivers. Fostering a diverse and inclusive membership community worldwide, AARC is a not-for-profit organization with headquarters in Irving, TX. Learn more about us at aarc.org.

SOURCE: American Association for Respiratory Care

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