SOAR Act of 2025

Improved Access to Oxygen: By removing oxygen and related equipment from the competitive acquisition program, the bill intends to improve beneficiary access to these essential services (Section 101(a)).

Fairer Payment for Liquid Oxygen: The bill establishes a specific payment amount for liquid oxygen that cannot be less than 200 percent of the 2015 fee schedule, updated by the consumer price index (Section 101(b)(F)(i)(II)).

Support for High-Flow Patients: A monthly add-on payment is established for patients whose prescribed oxygen flow rate is equal to or greater than 6 liters per minute (Section 101(b)(F)(iii)(I)).

Expanded Care via Respiratory Therapists: The bill adds respiratory therapist services to the definition of medical and health services and provides for a monthly payment add-on adjustment for these services (Section 201).

Enhanced Program Integrity and Efficiency: The adoption of electronic templates for documenting medical necessity is intended to strengthen program integrity and facilitate electronic transactions for claim adjudication (Section 301(a)).

Increased Beneficiary Awareness: The bill requires annual and monthly notices regarding cost-sharing obligations, the 36-month rental period, and the number of months remaining in the rental cap (Section 302).

Stronger Beneficiary Protections: The act establishes several rights, including the ability to choose or change local suppliers, the right to receive clear communications, and the right to have faulty equipment repaired or replaced in a timely manner (Section 401).