Sponsors (4)
The bill expands and studies financial support for living organ donation—reducing out-of-pocket costs and improving oversight for many donors and providers—at the trade-off of limited statutory caps, potential year-to-year uncertainty, and the prospect of higher federal/Medicare spending.
Living organ donors with household incomes at or below 700% of the federal poverty guideline will be eligible to have qualifying donation-related expenses reimbursed (up to the statutory cap), reducing their out-of-pocket costs for donation.
Medicare beneficiaries (and transplant patients whose donors are connected to Medicare recipients) could have donor-related costs covered by Medicare if authorized, lowering out-of-pocket spending for those donors and recipients.
Hospitals and transplant centers could face simpler billing and payment pathways (and reduced uncompensated-care burden) if Medicare covers donor costs, easing administrative complexity.
Many living donors (including low- and moderate-income donors) may still face substantial unreimbursed costs because the statutory reimbursement cap (e.g., $10,000 in FY2027) can be lower than actual qualifying expenses.
Taxpayers could face higher federal costs (and potentially higher Medicare spending or premiums) if appropriations increase to meet demand under the open-ended authorization or if Medicare is expanded to pay donor reimbursements.
If grant recipients lack funds, the Secretary may lower the program maximum for a fiscal year, creating uncertainty and the possibility of reduced reimbursements for donors in some years.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Raises living donor reimbursement cap to $10,000 (FY2027) indexed to CPI-U, protects eligibility up to 700% of poverty, authorizes funding FY2028–2037, and orders GAO study on Medicare coverage.
Official title: To amend the Public Health Service Act with respect to the Living Organ Donation Reimbursement Program.
Introduced March 9, 2026 by Suzan K. Delbene · Last progress March 9, 2026
Expands and updates the federal Living Organ Donation Reimbursement Program by raising the per-donor reimbursement cap to $10,000 (indexed to CPI-U after FY2027), barring grant recipients from denying reimbursement based on household income up to 700% of the HHS poverty guideline, authorizing unspecified appropriations for FY2028–2037, and requiring annual public reports to Congress starting FY2027. Directs GAO to study within one year whether Medicare can assume payment for costs now covered by the reimbursement program and to recommend statutory or administrative changes to enable that shift.