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

This final rule revises the Conditions for Coverage for Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) to clarify outstanding procedural questions and provide additional operational flexibility for OPOs to achieve high performance resulting in the successful procurement, distribution, and transplantation of more life-saving organs. This rule revises definitions, revises the designation requirements for OPOs, clarifies when an OPO's service area is open for competition, and updates the process for appeals. We are committed to holding all OPOs accountable for their performance and this final 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.