Major Overhaul of Organ Transplant System Oversight Proposed

Organ procurement organizations—the groups responsible for connecting organ donors with patients—will face big changes if the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS’s) proposed rule is finalized. The changes come in the wake of disturbing practices in organ procurement organizations. The new rules proposed on Jan. 28 aim to ensure patient safety, hold underperforming organizations accountable, and increase the number of successful transplants. “Organ procurement organizations must serve as trusted stewards of every donated organ,” Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a statement. “This proposed rule strengthens accountability, clarifies expectations, and gives us stronger tools to remove underperforming organizations, protect patients, and honor the incredible gift of life,” said Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of CMS....