Federal oversight linked to sharp drop in skipped transplant patients

New federal data show the rate of patients being skipped on organ transplant waiting lists in the United States has fallen from nearly 20 percent in 2024 to about 9 percent in recent months, part of a broader crackdown on fairness and safety in the transplant system. The changes followed reporting by The New York Times that found organ procurement organizations had been bypassing patients near the top of lists and steering organs to less-sick recipients and favored hospitals.

The nonprofits said they sometimes skipped patients to place organs at risk of deteriorating, but the paper reported other motives, including saving time and money. Regulators began tracking and publishing skip rates and officials have promised stronger rules. The board that oversees the transplant system is poised to approve policies on donation after circulatory death that would require frequent neurological testing of potential donors and allow health workers and family members to pause the process.

Emily Hilliard, a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services press secretary, said the reforms are “essential to restoring trust, ensuring informed consent and protecting the rights of prospective donors and their families.” Federal actions already include closing a procurement organization highlighted by The Times and ordering all groups to hire patient safety officers; the health secretary, Robert F.

Kennedy Jr., is continuing to investigate.

Key Topics

Health, Organ Procurement Organizations, Transplant System, Circulatory Death Donation, Ron Wyden