Thread by @RepKatiePorter

Let's talk about organ procurement organizations (OPOs), which are responsible for evaluating and securing organs from those who have decided to donate. The U.S. has 58 OPOs, each one being a regional monopoly.

I recently did some digging on OPOs. Here’s what I learned: (THREAD)

Until recently, the only data we had about the performance of OPOs was self-reported, because the agency tasked with oversight never established accurate and appropriate reporting policies.

Yes, we let a bunch of regional monopolies police themselves. What could go wrong? (2/7)

The OPO serving my constituents in Orange County, OneLegacy, reported an organ recovery rate of 69% between 2012 and 2014. In reality, a new study found that the organization only recovered 31%.

The neighboring OPO serving San Diego recovered 65% more donor organs. (3/7)

Meanwhile, there was rampant waste and fraud at OneLegacy. A 2010 audit found that the organization spent more than $500,000 on “unallowable or poorly documented items,” including $327,000 on the Rose Bowl game and parade. (4/7)

And let’s not forget the stakes in this: approximately 33 people die every day while waiting for a critical transplant or are removed from the waiting list after being deemed too sick to receive a transplant. (5/7)

So when the Trump Admin announced that it wanted to improve the nation’s transplant system, I welcomed this move. In a letter this week, I urged them to adjust regulations, reporting requirements, and performance metrics to curb OPO underperformance. (6/7)
porter.house.gov/sites/porter.h…

I’m going to continue to fight: for patients, for the Americans losing their lives because of financial mismanagement, and for those who have chosen to give the gift of an organ upon passing but haven’t had their wishes honored.

Read more about this:
porter.house.gov/media/press-re…