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Trump administration seeks to boost organs available for transplant Trump administration seeks to boost organs available for transplant
(32 minutes later)
The Trump administration announced a proposed overhaul of rules Tuesday morning to reimburse living kidney donors for lost wages and replace poor-performing organ recovery organizations. The Trump administration announced proposed new rules Tuesday that would make thousands more organs available for transplant, promising to hold dozens of poor-performing organ collection agencies more accountable and to increase payments to living kidney donors.
The proposed rule, which would take effect in 2022, could increase organ donation and transplantation from about 36,000 annually to 42, 000 a year, officials said. The effort could yield 6,000 more organs annually, health officials said, a step toward reducing the huge waiting list for kidneys, livers, hearts and other organs. More than 114,000 people are on that list; many wait years for an organ. Thirty-three of them die each day.
The proposed changes, which would take effect in 2022, could increase organ donation and transplantation from about 36,000 annually to 42, 000 a year, officials said.
The administration unveiled proposed new performance standards for the nation’s 58 organ procurement organizations (OPOs), which collect organs from deceased donors and send them to transplant centers.
The current evaluations have been widely criticized because the nonprofits evaluate themselves and can easily manipulate their organ recovery rates. Under the proposed rule, the number of potential donors and transplantable organs would be independently assessed.
“We are completely and totally overhauling the OPOs,” said Seema Verma, administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which funds the nonprofit organizations.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said the rule also calls for federal reimbursement for child care and for eldercare costs.Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said the rule also calls for federal reimbursement for child care and for eldercare costs.
“We don’t believe their financial situation should limit their generosity,” Azar said during a news conference, adding that African Americans would particularly benefit from the proposal since they represent about one third of people on kidney transplant waitlists.“We don’t believe their financial situation should limit their generosity,” Azar said during a news conference, adding that African Americans would particularly benefit from the proposal since they represent about one third of people on kidney transplant waitlists.
The administration also proposes new performance standards for the nation’s 58 organ procurement organizations, which collect organs from deceased donors and send them to transplant centers but which have been widely criticized because they assess themselves and can easily manipulate organ recovery numbers.
Under the proposed rules, the number of potential donors and transplantable organs would be independently assessed.
“We are completely and totally overhauling the OPOs,” said Seema Verma, administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which funds the nonprofit organizations.
The new rules were crafted in response to a July executive order signed by President Trump that pledged to reduce end stage kidney disease by 25 percent by 2030.The new rules were crafted in response to a July executive order signed by President Trump that pledged to reduce end stage kidney disease by 25 percent by 2030.
At the time, Trump said the order delivers “ground-breaking action to millions of Americans suffering from kidney disease. It’s a big deal.”At the time, Trump said the order delivers “ground-breaking action to millions of Americans suffering from kidney disease. It’s a big deal.”
Medicare spends more than $110 billion on kidney care, about 20 percent of all fee-for-service dollars paid out by the giant government health insurance program.Medicare spends more than $110 billion on kidney care, about 20 percent of all fee-for-service dollars paid out by the giant government health insurance program.
About 37 million people suffer from kidney disease. Medicare spends $114 billion a year on kidney care — about $35 billion of it for the more than 700,000 people whose kidneys have failed and require dialysis or a transplant to stay alive.About 37 million people suffer from kidney disease. Medicare spends $114 billion a year on kidney care — about $35 billion of it for the more than 700,000 people whose kidneys have failed and require dialysis or a transplant to stay alive.
Read more:
Lifes Lost, Organs Wasted
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