CQRC applauds CMS for omitting oxygen, CPAP from competitive bidding
By HME News Staff
Updated 1:07 PM CST, Wed December 10, 2025
WASHINGTON – The Council for Quality Respiratory Care (CQRC) commends the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for not including supplemental oxygen and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices and supplies in the next round of Medicare’s competitive bidding program (CBP). Listening to concerns outlined by the CQRC and other oxygen stakeholders, Medicare’s decision to omit the products will lock in previous savings, while protecting patient access to life-sustaining oxygen supplies and services, the organization said. “We commend the administration for recognizing and responding to our concerns and not including supplemental oxygen and CPAP in the competitive bidding program in 2026,” said Robin Menchen, CQRC chair. “Each day, some 1.5 million Americans rely on home respiratory therapy, including supplemental oxygen, to treat their conditions, improve their quality of life, and maintain their independence. The CQRC applauds CMS’s decision to leave oxygen and CPAP out of the CBP to preserve access to home-based respiratory care for these beneficiaries.” To further refine the supplemental oxygen benefit and proactively address remaining barriers to patient access, CQRC strongly supports the passage of the Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform (SOAR) Act (S. 1406/H.R. 2902) – also championed by patient, patient advocacy, disease and physician groups nationwide. It says the SOAR Act would strengthen fraud and abuse policies, implement patient protections, support access to respiratory therapy services, and strengthen access to supplemental oxygen care in rural and underserved communities.
Comments