Advocacy

CHEST advocates to expand access to health. To make it happen, we not only partner with our expert clinician membership, but we work with government agencies where far-reaching decisions that impact lung health are made. We also work hand-in-hand with patient advocacy groups that are immersed in understanding the major barriers to health people face.

For decades, CHEST has championed lung health advocacy and has been a driver of federal anti-tobacco laws. As the global leader in innovative chest medicine, we fight for policies that prevent and treat lung disease, empower clinicians, and save lives. We’re calling for action at the top of our lungs.

Our advocacy mission

CHEST supports the development of policies and regulatory or legislative actions that improve access to health. Our most proactive efforts are focused across the four key areas that comprise the current policy agenda: tobacco and vaping, oxygen access, pulmonary rehabilitation, and noninvasive ventilation. Through expert-backed research and analysis, we advocate for practical solutions that reflect the needs of those who are directly affected by the issues.

Our efforts are directed toward forming and adopting evidence-based policy recommendations; influencing change within government, payors, and health systems; and organizing collective responses to issues across pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. We strive to eliminate health disparities by understanding barriers to accessing quality health care, acknowledging the impact of social determinants of health, and promoting healthy environments that help prevent lung disease before it starts.

Let’s speak out for the hundreds of millions of people who suffer from lung disease globally. Together, we can help our world breathe easier.

Advocacy in action

PUBLIC HEALTH

The Respiratory Impact of Federal Funding Cuts

May 2, 2025 | CHEST cosigned a letter to the Senate Committee on Appropriations on the profound respiratory consequences of unprecedented funding freezes, termination of approved grants, and other administrative actions that have slowed or halted research both funded by and at NIH.

OXYGEN ACCESS

An Update on Supplemental Oxygen Bill in Congress

April 17, 2025 | With the SOAR Act reintroduced in Congress, CHEST joins forces with respiratory-focused organizations to advocate for the passage of supplemental oxygen access reform.

NONINVASIVE VENTILATION

CHEST Submits Public Comment to CMS on NIPPV Proposed Decision Memo

April 10, 2025 | CHEST responds to the proposed decision memo on noninvasive positive pressure ventilation in the home for the treatment of COPD.

PUBLIC HEALTH

Urging NIH to Reconsider Indirect Cost Policy

March 14, 2025 | CHEST cosigned a letter to NIH that urged the institution to reconsider its recently announced policy imposing a 15% cap on indirect cost recovery for grants.

PUBLIC HEALTH

Asking the EPA to Review Ambient Air Quality Standards

March 5, 2025 | CHEST cosigned a letter to the EPA on the necessity of aligning National Ambient Air Quality Standards with current science to ensure optimal public health protection.

SEE MORE STATEMENTS

Priorities

Tobacco and vaping

Building upon our history of anti-tobacco advocacy, CHEST invests in identifying ways to prevent tobacco addiction and stands against innovation that focuses on kids, young adults, and members of marginalized communities, who have been long-time targets of the tobacco industry. We develop evidence-based cessation programs and guides, engage in federal rule-making processes, and lend our voice to legislation that aims to protect communities and individuals from the detrimental impact of smoking, vaping, and nicotine addiction.

Oxygen access

Access to high-flow and liquid oxygen systems is critical to effective patient care and improving patients' overall quality of life. We promote product innovation, seek improved coverage of devices, and educate patients and providers on how to effectively order, use, and maintain their devices. Partnerships with manufacturers and suppliers are key to navigating the barriers sufferers of chronic lung disease face in obtaining access to the devices that enable them to lead a normal life.

Pulmonary rehabilitation

Pulmonary rehabilitation is not a single procedure or service. It is the beginning of a lifestyle change that, with the proper education, guidance, and training, can improve outcomes and the quality of life for those who live with chronic lung disease. CHEST is dedicated to increasing the awareness and ubiquity of pulmonary rehabilitation. We seek to promote innovative delivery, improve reimbursement rates as a means to ensure broader program availability, and increase the prescription of pulmonary rehabilitation for improved patient outcomes.

Noninvasive ventilation

CHEST is committed to making it easier to get patients the type of device and supportive ongoing care they need to live better with chronic conditions, whether COPD, central sleep apnea, obstructive sleep apnea, hypoventilation syndromes, or thoracic restrictive diseases. CHEST strives for the decoupling of device prescription and home therapy. Restructuring how devices are approved for coverage is an essential goal that unites physicians, patient advocates, manufacturers, and suppliers, and CHEST is keeping the stakeholders at the table to find solutions.

Read the latest advocacy news and notes from CHEST Advocates

FEATURES

FEATURE STORY

The Irony of the EDUCATE Act

Revealing its harmful effects on medical education, patient outcomes

12 MINUTE READ

Action Collaborative for Black Men in Medicine artwork

FROM THE FRONT LINES

Increasing the Representation of Black Men in Medicine

The urgent need for systemic change

6 MINUTE READ

IDEAS AND INSIGHTS

CLINICIAN PERSPECTIVE

Building a Path Toward APP Inclusion: It benefits health organizations—and patients, too

6 MINUTE READ

MEET THE ADVOCATES

Fighting for Optimal Health Outcomes: How these advocates chip away at injustices one day at a time

5 MINUTE READ

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Celebrating Shared Humanity: Choosing commonalities over differences

3 MINUTE READ

CLINICAL PRACTICE RESOURCES | See how CHEST has commented on coding, billing, and regulatory compliance issues. READ NOW »

Stay informed. Get involved.

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Together, we can help our world breathe easier.

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