The Issue

The demand for transplantable organs in the United States has long outpaced the supply. Right now, more than 16,000 people across the country are waiting for liver transplants.

Unfortunately, the nation’s organ allocation system continues to make an already dire situation worse by creating geographic disparities in access to organs for transplant: people living in some parts of the country wait far longer and are sicker when they receive an organ than those in other parts of the country.
​
​Consequently, hundreds of Americans needlessly die every year while waiting for organs.

About CODE

The Coalition for Organ Distribution Equity (CODE) is a collection of stakeholders and patients committed to improving patient access to organs for transplant. Consistent with the models examined by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) in its concept paper Redesigning Liver Distribution to Reduce Variation in Access to Liver Transplantation, CODE advances policies that reduce geographic disparities in wait times, patient acuity at time of transplant and organ failure-related deaths. Inherent in this endeavor is the need to increase public and policymaker awareness regarding the current process governing organ distribution, its flaws and how reforms can improve patient outcomes nationwide.

What's Next?

The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN)/United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) Liver and Intestinal Organ Transplantation Committee has posted their new proposal for liver allocation and that can be found here. In brief, OPTN has proposed a concentric circle model (referred to as B2C 32) that favors patients within a 150 miles of the donor hospital and the MELD cutoff for broader sharing is 32. CODE recommends to oppose this policy while urging a larger concentric circle radius (250+ miles) and lower MELD cutoff for broader sharing (29 or less). The comment portal is live here and is open until November 1. 
​Recommended comments can be found here.