DATE: September 27, 2024

By Samyarup Chowdhury
Knewz

Nearly 50 bipartisan members of the United States House of Representatives last week sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center calling for more support for living kidney donors amid the ongoing crisis of end-stage renal disease (ESRD).

Knewz.com has learned that the CMS Innovation Center previously proposed increasing kidney transplants through the Increasing Organ Transplant Access (IOTA) Model.

However, the coalition of lawmakers expressed concerns that the model does not include reimbursements “to ensure that these living donor heroes are not financially penalized or disincentivized for their generous act,” and that the model does not ensure equitable access to transplants for Black and Latino populations.

The Kidney Transplant Collaborative, which played a leading role in gathering the bipartisan coalition behind the letter, noted that as of 2023, some 88,500 Americans were waiting for a kidney transplant, with tens of thousands more in need of a transplant but not yet on the waiting list.

The average wait for a kidney transplant is three to five years, and between 12 and 17 people die each day while waiting for transplants.

“We are thrilled to see bipartisan leadership come together to support kidney patients and living donors,” said Kidney Transplant Collaborative Co-Chair Andy Howard.

“The proposed IOTA Model represents a unique opportunity to not only increase transplant access but also to ensure that living kidney donors are fully supported throughout the process. The recommendations in this letter are essential to saving lives and ensuring the long-term success of the program.”

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