Marty Gaither Brings Rural Healthcare Perspective to Washington
August 24, 2026 by Sidney Health Center Marketing
For Sidney Health Center Respiratory Therapy Director Marty Gaither, a recent trip to Washington, D.C., was about more than meetings on Capitol Hill. It was an opportunity to make sure the voices of rural patients and respiratory therapists in Montana were part of the national conversation about healthcare.
Gaither, who serves as President of the Montana Respiratory Therapy Chapter, traveled to Washington to meet with Montana’s congressional delegation and advocate for legislation that could improve access to respiratory care and supplemental oxygen for patients.
“It was an honor to represent the RTs of the state of Montana and advocate for patients with lung diseases to our legislators,” he said.
A primary focus of the trip was the Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform Act (SOAR Act), legislation aimed at addressing several challenges surrounding supplemental oxygen access and coverage. The bill focuses on making supplemental oxygen more patient-centered, ensuring access to liquid oxygen when it is medically necessary, improving reimbursement for respiratory therapist services, and creating standardized documentation requirements for supplemental oxygen claims.
For patients living in rural communities, access to the right equipment and appropriate respiratory care can make a significant difference in their ability to manage their health at home.
Gaither also advocated for the Access to Improved Respiratory Care Act (AIR Act) of 2026, which would allow qualified respiratory therapists to furnish and bill Medicare for tobacco cessation counseling services using existing Medicare billing codes.
During the trip, Gaither met with legislative staff representing Senator Tim Sheehy, Senator Steve Daines, Congressman Ryan Zinke and Congressman Troy Downing. Gaither also had the opportunity to speak directly with Senators Sheehy and Daines at constituent events hosted in Washington, including “Tuesdays with Tim” and “Montana Coffee.”
These conversations provided an opportunity to share the perspective of rural healthcare providers and explain how federal policies can affect patients and communities far from Washington, D.C.
“Our needs and positions in rural Montana need to be known by our federal legislators, especially how these issues affect our patients and community members,” he said.
One of his biggest takeaways from the trip was that Montana’s lawmakers are engaged with these issues and are considering both the potential benefits and costs of proposed legislation, while also looking at ways to protect healthcare dollars from fraud and abuse.
For Sidney Health Center and other rural hospitals, the issues discussed in Washington can have a direct impact on the patients they serve. Improving access to appropriate oxygen equipment, supporting respiratory therapy services and ensuring providers can be reimbursed for important patient services can ultimately help improve the patient experience.
Gaither is hopeful the SOAR Act will continue to move forward and is encouraging those who support improved access to supplemental oxygen to contact their federal legislators and ask them to support H.R. 2902 in the House of Representatives and S. 1406 in the Senate.
While the primary purpose of the trip was advocacy, Gaither also had the opportunity to visit Arlington National Cemetery, where his grandparents are buried.
“It was an awesome and special place to visit,” he said.
The trip brought together two meaningful experiences for Gaither: honoring family and serving patients. By taking the concerns of rural Montana to Washington, Gaither helped ensure that the challenges facing rural respiratory care were represented where decisions about the future of healthcare are being made.
Gaither, who serves as President of the Montana Respiratory Therapy Chapter, traveled to Washington to meet with Montana’s congressional delegation and advocate for legislation that could improve access to respiratory care and supplemental oxygen for patients.
“It was an honor to represent the RTs of the state of Montana and advocate for patients with lung diseases to our legislators,” he said.
A primary focus of the trip was the Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform Act (SOAR Act), legislation aimed at addressing several challenges surrounding supplemental oxygen access and coverage. The bill focuses on making supplemental oxygen more patient-centered, ensuring access to liquid oxygen when it is medically necessary, improving reimbursement for respiratory therapist services, and creating standardized documentation requirements for supplemental oxygen claims.
For patients living in rural communities, access to the right equipment and appropriate respiratory care can make a significant difference in their ability to manage their health at home.
Gaither also advocated for the Access to Improved Respiratory Care Act (AIR Act) of 2026, which would allow qualified respiratory therapists to furnish and bill Medicare for tobacco cessation counseling services using existing Medicare billing codes.
During the trip, Gaither met with legislative staff representing Senator Tim Sheehy, Senator Steve Daines, Congressman Ryan Zinke and Congressman Troy Downing. Gaither also had the opportunity to speak directly with Senators Sheehy and Daines at constituent events hosted in Washington, including “Tuesdays with Tim” and “Montana Coffee.”These conversations provided an opportunity to share the perspective of rural healthcare providers and explain how federal policies can affect patients and communities far from Washington, D.C.
“Our needs and positions in rural Montana need to be known by our federal legislators, especially how these issues affect our patients and community members,” he said.
One of his biggest takeaways from the trip was that Montana’s lawmakers are engaged with these issues and are considering both the potential benefits and costs of proposed legislation, while also looking at ways to protect healthcare dollars from fraud and abuse.
For Sidney Health Center and other rural hospitals, the issues discussed in Washington can have a direct impact on the patients they serve. Improving access to appropriate oxygen equipment, supporting respiratory therapy services and ensuring providers can be reimbursed for important patient services can ultimately help improve the patient experience.
Gaither is hopeful the SOAR Act will continue to move forward and is encouraging those who support improved access to supplemental oxygen to contact their federal legislators and ask them to support H.R. 2902 in the House of Representatives and S. 1406 in the Senate.
While the primary purpose of the trip was advocacy, Gaither also had the opportunity to visit Arlington National Cemetery, where his grandparents are buried.“It was an awesome and special place to visit,” he said.
The trip brought together two meaningful experiences for Gaither: honoring family and serving patients. By taking the concerns of rural Montana to Washington, Gaither helped ensure that the challenges facing rural respiratory care were represented where decisions about the future of healthcare are being made.