WASHINGTON, April 24 /PRNewswire/ -- On the morning of April 26, 2006, 13 key transplant groups will "fly in" to Washington, D.C. to confer with elected officials on legislative issues impacting transplantation and to request funding for the Organ Donation and Recovery Improvement Act, which was passed in 2004 but to date, has not been funded. The 13 groups represented at the briefing are members of the Transplantation Roundtable, a committee which has collaborated with Congress since 2001 to enact and fund the Organ Donation and Recovery Improvement Act. Early this year, the American Society of Transplantation (AST), and several Roundtable representatives, became the driving force behind the "fly-in," an event that will bring Roundtable members together with legislators and put the spotlight on transplantation and funding issues.
About the Organ Donation and Recovery Improvement Act
Nearly two years ago, President Bush signed into law the bipartisan Organ Donation and Recovery Improvement Act (P.L. 108-216). This act authorizes $25 million in new funding for organ donation education and awareness, travel and living expense reimbursement for living donors, grants for hospital organ coordinators, and other programs intended to improve organ recovery rates and advance scientific pursuit in transplantation. Since the bill's enactment, no additional funding has been provided for the authorized activities and funding for these important programs has been reduced.
An Urgent Issue
Considering over 90,000 Americans are currently on the waiting list for an organ transplant, and nearly 5,000 people died last year while waiting for an organ, it is critical to promote organ donations and reduce the waiting list. An increase in donor organs not only saves lives, but also saves the federal government millions of dollars in dialysis and other health care costs. Medicare would avoid direct dialysis costs exceeding $55,000 per patient per year for each patient transplanted. With an average wait of 4 years for a transplant, Medicare would save a minimum of $220,000 per transplanted patient over 4 years, not including the cost of the transplant.
The Transplantation Roundtable and its individual member organizations have been involved with Congress since 2001 to enact and fund the Organ Donation and Recovery Improvement Act and have coordinated with Congress to draft and pass legislation. The Roundtable has also hosted Legislative Days in 2004 and 2005, working to secure funding for the Organ Donation and Recovery Improvement Act.
The "Fly-In"
When representatives from 13 major transplant groups arrive in D.C. their goals will be to develop long-term relationships with policy makers, increase national focus on transplantation issues, educate Members of Congress and their staffs, and advocate for funding for the Organ Donation and Recovery Improvement Act. The Roundtable is requesting at least $5 million of the $25 million authorization, which would enable the program to be funded.
The "fly-in" is just one of the many activities that AST and Roundtable member organizations have promoted. Other key initiatives include meeting with members on the House/Senate Labor HHS Subcommittee and key members of Congress, circulating multiple letters of support in the Senate, and securing report language in the Senate and House Labor-HHS bill.
For information about AST, go to http://www.a-s-t.org. CONTACT: Beth Drost (215) 884-6499
American Society of TransplantationCONTACT: Beth Drost, +1-215-884-6499, for the American Society ofTransplantation
Web site: http://www.a-s-t.org/
