Transplantation of any organ is considered the gold standard of healthcare and the best one yet. However, many people still fail to acquire that service, especially in kidney transplantation, which will change because of a new bill named the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act.

This article will cover how this new procurement act improves the human right to quality healthcare and addresses the rising demand for kidney transplants. Read more below as we unfold how transplantation was handled before and what it could be shortly. 

The Transplantation Side of Healthcare

Millions of people suffer from kidney stones or kidney-related conditions. And 800,000 patients from America alone have transgressed to kidney failure and are awaiting to be included in transplant lists. 

Before that transplant is made, at least fourteen have already succumbed to the condition due to inoperable delays or list skipping due to many factors and priority issues. A new publication and effect of the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act seek to change and improve the transplantation system from its roots-a crucial next step to modernization on how the country delivers these organs to their rightful recipients.


Fortunately, we have seen improvements, albeit minor, in healthcare quality when it comes to reducing the chance of kidney-related conditions. Compared to before, it's now easier for individuals to procure discounts for medicines, such as Flomax Discount Offers. Moreover, there is an improvement in the country's healthcare network. 

That said, the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act serves as a milestone towards modernizing the transplantation system and empowering the capacity to provide quality healthcare for patients nationwide.

U.S. Organ Procurement Transplantation Network Act. (H.R. 2544) 

By definition, the H.R. 2544, or the U.S. Organ Procurement Transplantation Network Act, aims to introduce competition in the transplant system and promote complete transparency. 

The bipartisan legislation changes how the HRSA funds and handles the OPTN. The bill allows HRSA to provide agreements and contracts to interested companies to support the network. It also promotes more funding to be provided in the transplantation network. 

In addition to introducing competition to improve the network, the Government Accountability Office is also assigned to review and supervise the financing of the network and how hospitals and the organization make the awarding system. Including the use of registration and miscellaneous fees. Ensuring transparency and fairness to the kidney recipients. 

Through this, the outdated transplantation system will undergo a modernization in technology, data governance, and the overall quality of healthcare, potentially leading to more innovations.

A Bill Long Due For Change

The new act was drafted for a time, and it was made because of the issues surrounding the transplantation system. The new act promises a better quality of service by introducing new competitors to take the mantle and responsibility of working with OPTN.

Any new companies would likely compete to take the new responsibilities of the United Network for Organ Sharing or UNOS, which has been handling OPTN since the mid-1980s.

As a private nonprofit corporation, UNOS has been a center of criticism on the general incompetence of the transplantation system from many patients, advocates, and lawmakers. 

Published reports and claims state that UNOS has been inefficient in addressing many failures and unreliable in managing patient lists. This has resulted in patients dying out from waiting too long, waste of life-saving organs, and an oversight on how their agencies collect and solicit organs. This further worsened the general criticisms of a lack of transparency. 

The current contract with UNOS is set to end in September of 2023. Which by then will be subjected to renewal and competitors taking different responsibilities to support the OPTN.

The Future of Healthcare

This initiative will improve transparency, equity, accountability, and overall performance between organ donation services and the transplantation system-the new bill ushers in competitors who offer better benefits and expertise in the field. 

Additionally, this bill has solved several crises in the system, including faster donor-to-recipient cases, reduced organ waste through faster delivery programs, and eventually improved the standard for kidney care and transplantation programs. 

This bill further expands the endless potential for innovation and modernization of the controversial decade of inefficiency and lack of care for struggling patients. Lastly, this strengthens the value of accountability and good governance by introducing different spheres of influence across the transplantation system.

A Special Commendation From The Contributors

As a leading organization for kidney health, the National Kidney Foundation applauds the contributors for securing this bill, starting with Senator Ron Wyden, Ben Cardin, Todd Young, Chuck Grassley, and Bill Cassidy. It can be recalled that this team of senators and other representatives made the timely push to President Joe Biden for the final approval and signature to put the bill into effect this 2023.

Takeaway

There is little news today that sparks happiness throughout the country, and this bill is the newest addition. With the bill enacted, patients can now seek better access to transplantation services and rely on a system that they can trust. Doctors are also empowered to offer this solution through faster and more reliable listing systems set to be changed anytime soon.

This bill is a start of pushing old healthcare systems of modernization. And through this, we'd start to see the new possibility of what quality healthcare can indeed mean for us.