WJTV-TV Jackson
Mississippi lawmakers urge CMS to rethink organ donation metrics
By Tommy West
JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Three U.S. congressional members from Mississippi issued a letter that encouraged the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to consider feedback from the Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency (MORA) and similar organizations as it implements changes to the nation’s organ donation system.
The letter from U.S. Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), as well as U.S. Rep. Michael Guest (R-Miss.), to CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz cites concerns raised by MORA about the performance metrics included in a final rule that could have the unintended consequence of putting organ donation services at risk in states like Mississippi with high chronic disease rates.
“MORA has demonstrated a strong commitment to innovation, donor family care, hospital development, and community education. These efforts have helped increase donation opportunities while maintaining the dignity and respect every donor and family deserves. Policies that could weaken local infrastructure or create uncertainty in long-standing healthcare partnerships risk undermining this important work,” the lawmakers wrote.
They asked CMS to consider stakeholder feedback before implementing the final rule and to consider metrics.
According to the lawmakers, the final rule redefines how organ procurement organizations’ performance is measured, now evaluating OPOs using objective donation and transplantation rate metrics. They said this places a significant number of organizations nationwide at risk of decertification because the metrics do not consider the process measures or the health realities of the communities that OPOs serve.
“This standard would disadvantage states like Mississippi, where heart disease is the leading cause of death, cancer is second, and chronic conditions like obesity, hypertension, and diabetes are widespread. These factors mean our donor populations are often more medically complex, which directly affects donor eligibility, organ quality, and transplant center utilization. In addition, another metric, the transplant rate, is not even within the control of the OPO, but rather based on decisions made by transplant surgeons,” the lawmakers stated.
MORA, which coordinates with donor families, hospital partners and transplant centers, indicates more than 1,300 Mississippians are currently waiting for a lifesaving transplant.