SOAR Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Senator Bill Cassidy
Introduced
Summary
This bill would reshape Medicare coverage and payments for supplemental oxygen and respiratory therapy to improve access and patient protections. It would remove oxygen from the competitive acquisition program, create separate inflation‑indexed payments, require electronic prescription templates, and set clear beneficiary rights and supplier responsibilities.
Show full summary
- Patients and caregivers: Gives people the right to choose and change local suppliers, receive clear monthly notices about remaining months in the 36-month rental cap, and get information about on-call coverage and emergency supplies.
- Respiratory therapists: Adds respiratory therapist services as a covered Medicare service and creates a separate, non-budget neutral add-on payment for their services starting January 1, 2026.
- Suppliers and payments: Excludes oxygen and related items from CAP as of January 1, 2026 and replaces bidding with geography-based fee rules indexed to CPI. It sets a liquid oxygen floor at 200% of the 2015 fee schedule updated by inflation and a monthly add-on for high-flow patients (6 liters per minute or greater).
*Includes specified non-budget neutral payment add-ons for respiratory therapists and high-flow liquid oxygen that would increase Medicare spending.*
Your PRIA Score
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
New Medicare oxygen payment rules
If enacted, Medicare would stop using competitive bidding for oxygen items starting January 1, 2026. In bidding areas, 2026 pay would equal each area's fee schedule on December 31, 2025 and then rise yearly by the CPI-U. Rural and non-contiguous areas would get a 50/50 blend using 110% of a national average and the area's 2025 fee schedule. Liquid oxygen would have a payment floor of at least 200% of the 2015 DME fee schedule updated by CPI for 2016–2025. The bill would also create a monthly add-on for orders of 6 liters per minute or more and require a respiratory therapist add-on.
Electronic forms for oxygen coverage
If enacted, the Secretary would require prescribing practitioners to use an electronic template to request Medicare payment for oxygen items starting January 1, 2026. The form must show recent visits, qualifying blood gas or oxygen saturation results, and that the patient needs the equipment. Medicare contractors would have to process these claims electronically. For claims sent after enactment, audits would allow clinical inference and judgment like earlier practice.
Medicare coverage for respiratory therapy
If enacted, respiratory therapist services furnished on or after January 1, 2026 would be added to Medicare's list of covered medical services. The services must be within state scope of practice and applicable accreditation standards. This would let beneficiaries get assessment, treatment, and monitoring covered when respiratory therapists provide care tied to oxygen.
New rules for oxygen suppliers
If enacted, the Secretary would define the services oxygen suppliers must provide one year after enactment. Suppliers would need to do an initial evaluation using a uniform form, ensure access to portable oxygen, do timely delivery and set-up, give written and verbal education, perform monitoring visits, and provide 24-hour on-call coverage and emergency backups. The rules would also require infection-control practices, assistance when beneficiaries travel or relocate, and billing rules when patients move.
More notices and rights for oxygen users
If enacted, Medicare would require annual notices that explain the 36-month rental rule, cost-sharing, and grievance procedures. The Secretary would also send a monthly notice showing how many months remain in the rental cap. Regulations would list rights like supplier choice, clear communications, privacy protections, timely repair and delivery, emergency plans, and fair rules for involuntary discharge.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Bill Cassidy
LA • R
Cosponsors
Amy Klobuchar
MN • D
Sponsored 4/10/2025
Mark Warner
VA • D
Sponsored 4/10/2025
Jerry Moran
KS • R
Sponsored 10/3/2025
Marsha Blackburn
TN • R
Sponsored 12/16/2025
Shelley Capito
WV • R
Sponsored 3/3/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.govTake It Personal
Get Your Personalized Policy View
Start a Free Government Policy Watch to see how policy affects your household, then upgrade to PRIA Full Coverage for year-round monitoring.
Already have an account? Sign in