health
The rot in our organ transplant system runs deep
Welcome to Tuesday’s edition of Washington Secrets. Last week, RFK Jr. took decisive action against an organ procurement organization, detailing cases in which potential donors woke up or showed signs of consciousness on the operating table. Yet, as we show, concerns about the 55 nonprofit groups that procure organs run much deeper than that. Plus, we have some extra details on the president’s secret flight from Turkey and a new Anthropic hire.
TL;DR
- Serious problems found in nearly 30% of examined organ donor cases at Network for Hope, with patients inappropriately placed on the donation pathway.
- Allegations of financial fraud against organ procurement organizations (OPOs) include overbilling Medicare for executive compensation, lobbying, meals, and entertainment.
- A nationwide audit found fraudulent Medicare payments for professional or public education expenses by 10 OPOs, costing taxpayers at least $500,000.
- Concerns raised about the use of private jets by organizations like Indiana Donor Network, with questions about personal trips and improper billing.
- OPOs accused of storing human organs instead of using them for transplants and discarding viable organs, with an estimated 12,000 pancreases harvested under potentially fraudulent circumstances and over 45,000 kidneys discarded since 2020.
- Network for Hope is being decertified by the federal government, but plans to appeal the decision.
- Life Alliance Organ Recovery Agency in Miami was decertified in 2025 for unsafe practices, poor training, and chronic underperformance.