Campaign for Transplant Patient Fairness Supports LaHood-Rush Bill

U.S. Newswire

Contact: Anitra Budd of the Campaign for Transplant Patient Fairness, 202-484-2776

Washington -- The Campaign for Transplant Patient Fairness, an alliance of the nation's leading patient advocacy groups, transplant hospitals, and organ procurement organizations, is aggressively supporting a bill introduced today by Reps. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.) and Bobby Rush (D-Ill).

The bill, the Organ Donation and Transplantation Improvements Act of 2000, would make a number of improvements to the nation's organ transplant system and offer bold new incentives to promote organ donation.

Speaking on behalf of the campaign, Michael Millis, M.D., of the University of Chicago's Hospitals, praised the bill as a thoughtful compromise in the transplant debate. "This bill really strikes a middle ground in a debate that has been going on for way too long. The bill draws on a lot of the proposals that have been suggested by all sides in the transplant wars. We hope that Congress will enact this piece of legislation so that we can all move on with the business of increasing organ donation and saving lives."

The bill follows many months of debate over organ allocation and the role of the federal government in the operation of the nation's Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). Under the LaHood-Rush bill, the transplant community would continue to develop membership criteria for transplant hospitals and medical criteria for the allocation of scarce donor organs. However, the bill also includes an equally important role for the federal government, ensuring that the public interest is protected and policies recommended by the transplant community meet the goals of the legislation.

The government and the transplant community would also collaborate to monitor and enforce the rules of the OPTN. Currently, compliance with the transplant network's rules is voluntary.

The bill includes one of the major recommendations contained in an Institute of Medicine (IOM) report released last July: the formation of a scientific review board to work with the government and the OPTN to evaluate the performance of the transplant system and ensure that the system works efficiently and equitably. The bill establishes a National Organ Transplant Advisory Board to carry out the recommendations of the IOM.

The bill's most important provisions are in the area of organ donation. For the first time, the federal government would acknowledge the important contribution made by living donors through a new program that would provide them with limited support for non-medical expenses. Currently, nearly all private and public health insurance plans cover medical costs for living donors but out-of-pocket travel expenses must be paid for by the donors or the recipients.

The bill also establishes an expanded grant program, administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), aimed at increasing organ donation. The grants would support pilot projects within the transplant community with a special emphasis among minorities and in areas with low donation rates. In addition, grants would be available to the states to help support their own government initiatives to increase organ donation.

Finally, organ donors would be acknowledged through the creation of a new Congressional Medal to honor living donors as well as the family members who consent to donate loved one's organs at the time of their death.

"We think these new organ donation initiatives will have an important impact on saving more lives," added Frank Stuart, M.D., of Northwestern Memorial Hospital. "For the first time the country will have a unified national effort aimed at overcoming the vast gap between the number of organ donors and the thousands of patients now on the waiting list for a transplant."

The bill was referred to the House Committee on Commerce. No hearing on the bill is scheduled.

There are more than 68,000 patients waiting for organ transplants in the United States. Each day 10 to 12 people die on the transplant waiting list. In 1998, HHS published new rules governing the operation of the OPTN. Those rules have been delayed by Congress three times. The rules are scheduled to go into effect on March 16, barring any further Congressional action.

The goal of the Campaign for Transplant Patient Fairness is to enhance congressional support for a more equitable allocation system and a nationwide effort to stimulate increased organ donation. It was formed to represent a unified voice that seeks positive change on behalf of patients and to guide the transplant community toward reasonable resolution on very contentious issues. It is the only group that includes representation by patient advocacy groups.

The Campaign has more than 20 members, including the Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education Program (MOTTEP), National Transplant Action Committee, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, OSF Saint Francis Medical Center and the University of Chicago Hospitals.

Copyright © 2000 U.S. Newswire.