LOVE Act

Help finding living kidney donors

If enacted, this bill would create an 8-year Medicare demonstration to train hospital staff as living-kidney-donor facilitators. HHS would have to start the program within 180 days of enactment. Participating hospitals that perform kidney transplants would get yearly payments equal to the reasonable costs of running the training, as set by HHS. The training would help Medicare (Parts A and B) beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease find prospective living kidney donors and navigate the donation process. The Secretary could waive Social Security Act rules to run the demonstration. HHS would report to Congress on results: an initial report not later than 6 years after enactment (covering the first 5 years and comparing the prior 5 years), then one update a year later and two more annual updates. Reports must show changes in living donors and transplants, recipient outcomes, any Medicare cost savings from less dialysis, and interviews with facilitators, hospitals, donors, and recipients.