April A.
In the fall of 2018 I started to become short of breath and developed a cough. I was a healthy 43 year old and on no medication. I had only been to the hospital to have my 2 children. READ MORE
Across the United States, more than 35 million people are living with lung disease including 11.1 million Americans with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and nearly 28 million (including 4. 75 million children) with asthma.
Recent events have highlighted the critical needs of people living with a chronic lung disease. These include:
- Public health programs that protect lung health
- Access to the appropriate type and modality of supplemental oxygen (as needed)
During the 2026 Respiratory Advocacy Day (September 24), our Lung Champions will come together in Washington D.C. to ask members of Congress to:
- Co-sponsor the Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform (SOAR) Act to ensure Medicare beneficiaries' access to supplemental oxygen (S. 1406/HR 2902) to help people live active lives; and
- Support $11.6 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to improve our nation’s lung health, including robust funding for the National Asthma Control Program, the Office on Smoking and Health and the National Immunization Program
You can support the efforts of our Lung Champions by:
Telling your Senators and Representatives in Washington, D.C., to pass legislation to ensure people enrolled in Medicare and require supplemental oxygen can access the most appropriate type of oxygen for their needs.
Telling your Senators and Representative in Washington, D.C. to support sustained investments for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to improve our nation’s lung health
Tell Congress to Invest in the National Asthma Control Program
Tweeting About It
Connect with your Senators or Representative using suggested tweets below. You can find your representative's twitter handle here and your senator's handle here.
- @[INSERT MEMBER HANDLE] I’m joining @LungAssociation to urge Congress to pass the SOAR Act (S. 1406/HR 2902) and fund @CDCgov. Visit Lung.org/RAD
- @LungAssociation is relying on your help @[INSERT MEMBER HANDLE] to fund @CDCgov and pass the SOAR Act (S. 1406/HR 2902). Visit Lung.org/RAD
Page last updated: September 15, 2026
