WASHINGTON – Kidney Care Partners (KCP) – the nation’s leading kidney care multi-stakeholder coalition representing patient advocates, physician organizations, health professional groups, dialysis providers, researchers and manufacturers – today applauded the Biden administration making effective the “Organ Procurement Organizations Conditions for Coverage: Revisions to the Outcome Measure Requirements for Organ Procurement Organizations” Final Rule.

“Improving the availability of and access to donor kidneys by removing barriers for living donation is a priority for KCP and our members,” said John P. Butler, Chairman of KCP. “We believe that this Final Rule is a step in the right direction, and we thank the Biden Administration for its early leadership on this important issue.”

The rule will strengthen the performance of the Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs), which play a vital role in providing patients who need a life-saving transplant with access to one. One of KCP’s 2021 priorities, outlined here, is to support legislation and regulatory actions to increase accountability for OPOs and remove barriers for living donation, including efforts to discriminate against or exclude living donors from insurance coverage because of their donation.

Nearly 95,000 patients are currently on waitlists for a kidney transplant, but in 2018 just over 21,000 kidney transplants were performed, including both living and cadaver kidneys. Nephrologists and facilities face substantial limits in what they can do to increase the number of kidney transplants, but KCP supports a coordinated effort that focuses on OPOs, living donors, and transplant center criteria. Policy changes, like those contained in the Final Rule, are needed to improve access to transplants, especially for patients living with kidney failure.

“KCP looks forward to constructive collaboration and dialogue with the Biden administration and other transplant stakeholders to develop appropriate ways to address inconsistent transplant center waitlist criteria and make the transplant process more patient-centered, transparent, and easier for patients to navigate,” concluded Butler. “This Final Rule is encouraging, but only if all parties work together and agree to be held accountable will we as a kidney care and transplant community be able to realize the goal of getting more individuals with kidney failure successful transplants.”

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