I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2902 
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve the payment 
method for oxygen and oxygen related equipment, supplies, and services, 
to increase beneficiary access to oxygen and oxygen related equipment, 
supplies, and services, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 10, 2025 
Mr. VALADAO (for himself, Ms. BROWNLEY, Mr. SMITH of Nebraska, and Mr. 
EVANS of Colorado) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Com-
mittee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined 
by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve 
the payment method for oxygen and oxygen related 
equipment, supplies, and services, to increase beneficiary 
access to oxygen and oxygen related equipment, supplies, 
and services, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform Act of 2025’’ or the 
‘‘SOAR Act of 2025’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
TITLE I—PROTECT BENEFICIARY ACCESS TO SUPPLEMENTAL 
OXYGEN THERAPY IN THE HOME AND COMMUNITY 
Sec. 101. Reform of the medicare supplemental oxygen benefit. 
Sec. 102. Establishment of supplemental oxygen responsibilities criteria. 
Sec. 103. Technical corrections. 
TITLE II—PROTECTING BENEFICIARY ACCESS TO RESPIRATORY 
THERAPISTS 
Sec. 201. Reimbursement for respiratory therapists. 
TITLE 
III—ADOPTION 
OF 
ELECTRONIC 
TEMPLATES 
TO 
STRENGTHEN FRAUD AND ABUSE PROTECTIONS AND ENSURE 
PROGRAM INTEGRITY 
Sec. 301. Strengthening program integrity through the use of electronic tem-
plates to document medical necessity, and restoring clinical in-
ference for oxygen and oxygen related equipment, supplies, and 
services. 
Sec. 302. Establishing notice requirements for individuals receiving oxygen or 
oxygen related equipment, supplies, or services. 
TITLE IV—ESTABLISHMENT OF BENEFICIARY RIGHTS 
Sec. 401. Establishing protections for individuals receiving oxygen or oxygen re-
lated equipment, supplies, or services. 
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TITLE 
I—PROTECT 
BENE-
FICIARY ACCESS TO SUPPLE-
MENTAL 
OXYGEN 
THERAPY 
IN THE HOME AND COMMU-
NITY 
SEC. 101. REFORM OF THE MEDICARE SUPPLEMENTAL OX-
YGEN BENEFIT. 
(a) REMOVING OXYGEN
AND OXYGEN RELATED 
EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES, AND SERVICES FROM COMPETI-
TIVE ACQUISITION PROGRAM TO IMPROVE PATIENT AC-
CESS
TO SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN THERAPY.—Section 
1847(a)(3) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w– 
3(a)(3)) is amended by— 
(1) inserting ‘‘AND EXCLUSION’’ after ‘‘EXCEP-
TION AUTHORITY’’; 
(2) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) and 
(B) as clauses (i) and (ii), respectively, and moving 
such clauses as so redesignated 2 ems to the right; 
(3) by striking ‘‘In carrying out’’ and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out’’; and 
(4) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraph: 
‘‘(B) EXCLUSION OF OXYGEN, AND OXY-
GEN
RELATED
EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES, AND 
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SERVICES.—Beginning on or after January 1, 
2026, the Secretary shall exclude oxygen and 
oxygen related equipment, supplies, and services 
from the competitive acquisition program under 
this section and payment for oxygen and oxygen 
related equipment, supplies, and services shall 
be made as prescribed under subparagraphs 
(E), (F), and (H) of section 1834(a)(9).’’. 
(b) ESTABLISHING ADEQUATE PAYMENT FOR OXY-
GEN AND OXYGEN RELATED EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES, AND 
SERVICES.—Section 1834(a)(9) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1395m(a)(9)) is amended— 
(1) in the first sentence of the matter preceding 
subparagraph (A), by inserting the following before 
the period: ‘‘(for oxygen and oxygen equipment fur-
nished before January 1, 2026) or the amount de-
termined under subparagraph (E), subject to sub-
paragraphs (F), (G), and (H) (for oxygen and oxy-
gen related equipment, supplies, and services fur-
nished on or after January 1, 2026);’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(E) PAYMENT FOR OXYGEN AND OXYGEN 
RELATED
EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES, AND
SERV-
ICES EXCLUDED FROM COMPETITIVE ACQUISI-
TION
PROGRAM.—Subject to subparagraphs 
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(F), (G), and (H) in the case of oxygen and ox-
ygen related equipment, supplies, and services 
furnished on or after January 1, 2026— 
‘‘(i) in areas that are competitive bid-
ding areas in which a competitive bidding 
program is implemented for other covered 
items, the payment amount is equal to— 
‘‘(I) for 2026, the fee schedule 
amounts for the area for items and 
services in effect on December 31, 
2025; and 
‘‘(II) for each subsequent year, 
the amount determined under this 
clause for the preceding year, in-
creased by the percentage increase in 
the consumer price index for all urban 
consumers (United States city aver-
age) for the 12-month period ending 
on December 31 of the previous year; 
‘‘(ii) in rural areas and non-contig-
uous areas (Alaska, Hawaii, and United 
States territories), the payment amount is 
equal to— 
‘‘(I) 50 percent of 110 percent of 
the national average price for the item 
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or service determined under section 
414.210(g)(1)(ii) of title 42, Code of 
Federal Regulations; and 
‘‘(II) 50 percent of— 
‘‘(aa) for 2026, the fee 
schedule amount for the area in 
effect on December 31, 2025; 
and 
‘‘(bb) for each subsequent 
year, the amount determined 
under this subclause for the pre-
ceding year, increased by the per-
centage increase in the consumer 
price index for all urban con-
sumers (United States city aver-
age) for the 12-month period 
ending on December 31 of the 
previous year; and 
‘‘(iii) in areas other than those de-
scribed in clauses (i) and (ii), the payment 
amount is equal to the sum of 75 percent 
of the adjusted payment amount estab-
lished under clause (i) and 25 percent of 
the unadjusted fee schedule amount other-
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wise determined without taking into ac-
count this subparagraph. 
‘‘(F) SPECIAL
RULE
FOR
LIQUID
OXY-
GEN.— 
‘‘(i) PAYMENT.— 
‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—In lieu of the 
volume adjustment established under 
paragraph (5)(C), not later than Jan-
uary 1, 2026, the Secretary in con-
sultation with suppliers, manufactur-
ers, patients and patient advocates, 
and physicians, and through notice- 
and-comment rulemaking, shall estab-
lish a separate payment amount that 
meets the requirements of this sub-
paragraph made to a supplier for the 
provision of liquid oxygen and liquid 
oxygen related equipment, supplies, 
and services that meets the require-
ments described in subparagraph (G). 
‘‘(II) 
PAYMENT
FLOOR.—The 
payment amount established under 
subclause (I) may not be less than an 
amount equal to 200 percent of the 
2015 Durable Medical Equipment, 
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