Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Organ Procurement Organizations Conditions for Coverage: Revisions to the Conditions for Coverage

This proposed rule would revise the Conditions for Coverage for Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) to clarify outstanding procedural questions and enable OPOs to make better informed decisions to achieve high performance resulting in the successful procurement, distribution, and transplantation of more life-saving organs. This rule would revise definitions, add new Quality Assessment Performance Improvement (QAPI) requirements related to medically complex organs and donors, revise the designation requirements for OPOs, clarify when an OPO's service area is open for competition, and update the process for appeals. It also includes a discussion of factors we would consider when selecting a successor OPO during a competition under the tiered approach to re-certification. We are committed to holding all OPOs accountable for their performance and this proposed rule does not revise the focus on improving the volume of donors and transplants assessed in the outcome measures or the tier structure used for re- certification and de-certification of OPOs.