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

Support for All Communities and a Call for De-escalation of Harm

January 26, 2026 | In alignment with our mission and values, CHEST calls on the federal administration to prioritize de-escalation of harm and protection of human life in all public safety and enforcement activities.

PUBLIC HEALTH

Addressing the Public Health Implications of Recent Changes to Federal Vaccine Recommendations

January 22, 2026 | CHEST released a statement advocating for a national immunization policy grounded in rigorous scientific review, transparent expert deliberation, recommendations that prioritize patient welfare over ideology, and the placement of the highest qualified individuals in decision-making positions.

PUBLIC HEALTH

Supporting the Increasing Access to Lung Cancer Screening Act

November 21, 2025 | CHEST has endorsed the bipartisan Increasing Access to Lung Cancer Screening Act, which would expand coverage for lung cancer screening with no cost sharing for patients.

PUBLIC HEALTH

CHEST Joins Medical Organizations in Amicus Brief Supporting AAP Lawsuit to Protect Evidence-Based Vaccine Policy

October 15, 2025 | CHEST joined 20 organizations in filing an amicus brief led by the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists in support of the plaintiffs in the case of American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) v. Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Jr.

TOBACCO & VAPING

CHEST Comments on Nicotine Yield in Cigarettes and Other Products

October 1, 2025 | As part of its decades-long leadership in advancing public health and reducing tobacco-related harm, CHEST submitted comments to the US Food and Drug Administration in response to a proposed rule that would set standards for the nicotine yield of cigarettes and certain other combusted tobacco products.

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

Medical research laboratory with sign that reads closed until further
notice

FEATURE STORY

Trials and Errors

As bias infiltrates today’s clinical research landscape, patients pay the price

12 MINUTE READ

Researcher working with AI data analysis, lab experiment, data science

MEET THE ADVOCATE

Beyond the Algorithm

Judy Wawira Gichoya, MD, MS, FSIIM, studies how to use AI equitably and ethically in medicine

5 MINUTE READ

IDEAS AND INSIGHTS

SCIENTIST PERSPECTIVE

Recalibrating the Norm: How sex-inclusive science transforms health for all

10 MINUTE READ

FROM THE FRONT LINES

Rare Needs Representation Too: Why research for rare diseases is a nationwide concern

4 MINUTE READ

PHILANTHROPY SPOTLIGHT

Laying the Groundwork for Equity in Sarcoidosis Outcomes: How Kerry Hena, MD, is using her CHEST Research Grant to detect disease earlier

4 MINUTE READ

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

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Together, we can help our world breathe easier.

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