The National Academies Testimony before Congress

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Categories: health policy

INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE

Division of Health Sciences Policy

Committee on Organ Procurement and Transplantation Policy

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The demand for organs for transplantation continues to outpace supply. More than 60,000 people are on waiting lists for a liver, kidney, heart, or other organs. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has proposed new regulations that, according to Secretary Shalala, would "assure that allocation of scarce organs will be based on common medical criteria, not accidents of geography." To help address these and other issues, Congress asked the Institute of Medicine in PL 105-277 to examine the current system and the potential impact of the proposed regulations. This report, Organ Procurement and Transplantation: Assessing Current Policies and the Potential Impact of the DHHS Final Rule, presents the Institute's findings and recommendations.

A series of congressional briefings for Members and/or Staff were held on this report on Monday, July 19, 1999. The report was publicly released on July 20, 1999.