OPO Performance Ratings

OPO Performance Ratings Based on Final Rule

On March 30th, 2021, the Biden-Harris Administration officially finalized a life-saving rule from November to revise outcome measures for Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs), the 57 government contractors tasked with coordinating organ donation. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) projects that minimum compliance with the rule will save 7,000 lives per year; additionally, projections show that Medicare will save $1 billion per year in foregone dialysis costs for those transplanted. COVID-19 has made these reforms even more urgent, as studies show the virus damages kidneys. Bipartisan congressional leaders have highlighted OPO reform as a critical health equity issue, as current system failures disproportionately harm patients of color. The rule takes effect for the 2022 recertification cycle, and will be updated by HHS as new data becomes available.

The following map and table show how OPOs across the country were categorized in terms of performance in the final rule, based on data from 2018.

• Tier 1 (gray) indicates passing;
• Tier 2 (yellow) indicates underperforming, with the designated service area (DSA) open for competition from higher performing OPOs;
• Tier 3 (red) indicates failing, leading to the DSA going to a higher performing OPO.

The table also includes the number of patients waiting for organs in each state served by the OPO.

Highest & Lowest Performing OPOs by Location

OPO Performance Ratings Based on Final Rule

* indicates CEO from most recent 990 filing no longer serving in role; ⁺ indicates CEO runs a parent organization, such as a hospital system or tissue processor, in which the OPO is housed.

Sources: Tiers from CMS OPO final rule published 2020. Organ waitlists as of May 3rd 2021. Financials from most recent available 990s below. 2019: Donor Network Arizona, OneLegacy, Donor Network West, Donor Alliance, LifeChoice Donor Services, New England Organ Bank, Washington Regional Transplant Community, Iowa Donor Network, Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network, Indiana Donor Network, Midwest Transplant Network, Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates, The Living Legacy Foundation, Gift of Life Michigan, Lifesource MN, Mid-America Transplant Services, Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency, New Jersey Sharing Network, Nevada Donor Network, LiveOnNY, ConnectLife, Lifeline of Ohio, LifeBanc, Life Connection of Ohio, LifeCenter Organ Donor Network, Center for Organ Recovery and Education, We Are Sharing Hope SC, Tennessee Donor Services, Mid-South Transplant Services, Texas Organ Sharing Alliance, Intermountain Donor Services (DonorConnect), LifeCenter Northwest, Versiti 2018: Arkansas Regional Organ Recovery Agency, Legacy of Life Hawaii, Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency, Carolina Donor Services, Nebraska Organ Recovery, Center for Donation and Transplant, Lifeshare Transplant Donor Services of Oklahoma, Gift of Life, Southwest Transplant Alliance, LifeGift, LifeNet

Notes: On January 1st 2021, LifeChoice Donor Services and New England Organ Bank merged; taking the total number of OPOs across the U.S. from 58 to 57.