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Council hears report on oxygen access problems tied to CMS reimbursement change; SOAR Act cited as federal fix
Summary
Council members reported that CMS’s combined reimbursement for liquid and compressed oxygen has reduced availability of portable liquid oxygen, leaving some oxygen‑dependent patients homebound; the SOAR Act was cited as pending federal legislation to restore access
Council members told the Rare Disease Advisory Council on Jan. 15 that a federal change in Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement combining liquid and compressed oxygen has reduced availability of liquid oxygen and harmed patients who rely on portable systems.
Why it matters: liquid oxygen is lighter and more portable than compressed tanks; members said suppliers stopped carrying liquid systems after reimbursement was combined, and some oxygen‑dependent patients have become effectively homebound, conserving oxygen and missing routine activities.
What was said: a council member (pulmonary‑disease advocate; name provided in meeting chat) explained that many patients now must conserve limited supplies and that clinicians are seeing worsening quality‑of‑life outcomes as patients forgo activities because they lack portable oxygen. The member said the SOAR Act (federal legislation) aims to restore separate reimbursement or other mechanisms to preserve liquid oxygen access and that Connecticut patients are affected now.
Next steps: members asked the advocacy committee to monitor the SOAR Act and related federal activity and to consider state‑level outreach where feasible. Council members noted past examples where state policy has prompted federal change and said state advocacy could be useful even when the primary process is federal.
