Organ Procurement Organizations

Published 1/1/2020

Organ procurement is the obtaining of organs for transplantation. Organs are procured through programs, systems or organizations. It includes also the transporting of donor organs, after surgical removal, to the hospital for processing and transplant.

Section 1138 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b-8) provides the statutory qualifications and requirements that an organ procurement organization (OPO) must meet in order for organ procurement costs to be reimbursed under the Medicare or Medicaid programs. To receive payment from the Medicare and Medicaid programs for organ procurement costs, the entity must have an agreement with the Secretary. In addition, under section 1138 of the Social Security Act, an OPO must meet performance standards prescribed and designated by the Secretary. CMS is delegated the responsibility to designate each OPO for a specific geographic service area.

Resources


Was this article helpful?