Sponsors (4)
The bill improves financial support and transparency for living organ donation—directly reducing donors' out-of-pocket costs and enabling policy options like Medicare coverage—at the trade-off of added federal spending, potential taxpayer/Medicare cost increases, and limits/uncertainty from a statutory reimbursement cap and possible year-to-year adjustments.
Living organ donors with household incomes at or below 700% of the federal poverty guideline will be eligible for reimbursement of qualifying donation-related expenses up to the statutory cap, reducing their out-of-pocket costs for donation.
Medicare beneficiaries and associated donors could have donor-related expenses covered under Medicare (if authorized), lowering out-of-pocket spending for transplant patients and donors.
Hospitals and transplant centers could see simpler billing pathways and reduced administrative burden and uncompensated care if Medicare covers donor costs, easing operations for health systems.
Taxpayers could face higher federal spending (and potentially higher Medicare costs or premiums) because the bill both authorizes open-ended funding ('such sums as may be necessary') and contemplates shifting donor reimbursements into Medicare.
The statutory maximum reimbursement (e.g., $10,000 in FY2027) may be lower than many donors' actual qualifying expenses, leaving donors—especially those with significant travel, lodging, or lost wages—responsible for the remainder.
If grant recipients lack sufficient funds in a fiscal year, the Secretary may lower the program's maximum reimbursement, creating uncertainty and the possibility of reduced reimbursements for future donors.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Expands and modernizes the federal living donor reimbursement program: broadens eligibility, sets a CPI‑adjusted $10,000 cap for FY2027, authorizes funding FY2028–2037, and requires annual public reporting.
Introduced March 9, 2026 by Suzan K. Delbene · Last progress March 9, 2026
Expands the federal reimbursement program that helps living organ donors pay qualifying expenses related to donation. It bars grant recipients from denying reimbursements to donors in households at or below 700% of the HHS poverty guideline, sets a reimbursement maximum equal to actual expenses or a CPI-U‑adjusted cap (starting at $10,000 for FY2027), replaces an old fixed appropriation with an authorization of “such sums as may be necessary” for FY2028–2037, and requires annual public reporting on program use and outcomes. The bill also directs the Government Accountability Office to study whether Medicare could assume costs now covered by the reimbursement program and to recommend statutory or administrative changes within one year.