- Posted January 30, 2026
New Federal Plan Aims to Use More Donor Organs, Improve Transplant Safety
U.S. health officials unveiled proposed changes to the nation’s transplant system, hoping to help more patients get lifesaving organs, even when donations aren’t perfect.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said the plan would tighten oversight of organ procurement organizations, known as OPOs.
These groups recover organs from people who have died and help match them to patients in need.
More than 100,000 people are on the national transplant waiting list, most of them waiting for kidneys. Thousands die each year before an organ becomes available.
“Every missed opportunity for organ donation is a life lost,” CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said in a statement.
He added that the proposed rule “strengthens accountability, clarifies expectations and gives us stronger tools to remove underperforming organizations, protect patients and honor the incredible gift of life.”
A major goal is to increase use of what CMS calls medically complex organs, which are usually from older donors or people with health problems.
These organs may not last as long, but they can still help many patients, especially those who are older or seriously ill and may not get another chance at a transplant.
For example, a kidney that might not suit a young patient could still give an older person years free of dialysis.
Under the new rules, OPOs would have to better track how these organs are recovered and used. CMS said these organs often need “special or additional considerations” when finding the right recipient.
Some OPOs already recover more of these organs, especially kidneys. But many transplant centers still turn them down, even when they could benefit patients.
Jeff Trageser, president of the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations, said he is “cautiously optimistic” the changes will help.
“If we’re going to look at maximizing opportunities to get people off the transplant list we’ve got to be sure hospitals are supporting donation, helping us to manage those medically complex donors, and transplant centers have mechanisms in place where they can make use of those,” he said.
The proposal comes at a troubling juncture: Donations from deceased donors fell last year for the first time in more than 10 years. At the same time, transplant growth slowed. Just over 49,000 transplants were done last year, up slightly from 48,150 in 2024.
Public trust has also taken a hit after alarming reports of patients nearly having organs removed while still showing signs of life.
Although those procedures were stopped, the incidents led thousands of people to remove themselves from donor lists.
CMS says it plans to finalize the rule later this year.
More information
Organ Donor.Gov has more on organ donation.
SOURCE: The Associated Press, Jan. 28, 2026
