U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services
Advisory Committee on Organ Transplantation
Recommendations 43–45
The Advisory Committee on Organ Transplantation (ACOT) met
on November 2–3, 2006 in Bethesda, MD and unanimously
agreed on the following three recommendations:
Recommendation 43: ACOT recommends to the
Secretary that the Medicare program allow donation after cardiac
death (DCD) direct organ acquisition expenses be reimbursable
to the organ procurement organization (OPO) under the Federal
program.
When the next of kin has made the decision to pursue organ
DCD, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services-designated
is responsible for expenses related to donation. ACOT recommends
to the Secretary that the Medicare program allow these direct
organ acquisition expenses to be reimbursable to the OPO under
the Federal program. It would thereby remove a financial barrier
to donation. Reimbursement to the OPO would begin at the time
donation consent is given and continue until the time organs
are recovered, or the time a patient is returned to palliative
care. At that time, responsibility for expenses would revert
to the patient or the patient's insurance carrier.
Recommendation 44: ACOT recommends to the
Secretary that he promote collaboration between the transplant
community and the insurance industry to adopt standards of
coverage for living organ donors specifically relating to
future adverse events (e.g., hernia repair, biliary tract
reconstruction) resulting from the donation.
Recommendation 45: ACOT recommends to the
Secretary that he take action intended to provide Medicare
eligibility for any living donor who loses insurability as
a result of disability on the basis of previous organ donation.
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