A Republican bill with 2 Democratic cosponsors · See all 8 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The SOAR Act of 2025 aims to change how Medicare pays for oxygen and related equipment and services. It seeks to remove these items from the competitive acquisition program to improve patient access. The bill establishes new payment methods, including specific rules for liquid oxygen and adjustments for high-flow patients. It also creates reimbursement for respiratory therapist services and defines new responsibilities for oxygen suppliers. Additionally, the bill introduces electronic templates for documenting medical necessity and establishes new rights and protections for beneficiaries.
Yes· 3 of 5
- Scored +8
Would people over 65 be better off under this?
The bill provides significant benefits and protections for elderly Medicare beneficiaries requiring oxygen therapy.
- Scored +8
Would retired people be better off under this?
The bill significantly enhances Medicare benefits and patient rights for those requiring supplemental oxygen.
- Scored +7
Does this make health care easier to get in general?
The bill improves access to supplemental oxygen and respiratory therapist services for Medicare beneficiaries.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
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).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Requirement for Increased Documentation: Prescribing practitioners will be required to use electronic templates to provide specific documentation, such as qualifying blood gas or saturation test results, to determine medical necessity (Section 301(a)(ii)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would retired people be better off under this? — The bill significantly enhances Medicare benefits and patient rights for those requiring supplemental oxygen. Would people over 65 be better off under this? — The bill provides significant benefits and protections for elderly Medicare beneficiaries requiring oxygen therapy. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — The bill provides specific payment structures intended to support oxygen services in rural areas.
- Healthcare
- Does this make health care easier to get in general? — The bill improves access to supplemental oxygen and respiratory therapist services for Medicare beneficiaries. Does this put more money into Medicare, the health coverage for people over 65? — The bill increases Medicare payments for oxygen equipment and respiratory therapist services.
- 7/21/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 6/15/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 6/10/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 3/3/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 12/16/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 10/3/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 4/10/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
John BoozmanRepublican · Arkansas
Marsha BlackburnRepublican · Tennessee
Shelley CapitoRepublican · West Virginia
Cindy Hyde-SmithRepublican · Mississippi
Amy KlobucharDemocrat · Minnesota
Jerry MoranRepublican · Kansas
Roger MarshallRepublican · Kansas
Mark WarnerDemocrat · Virginia