The Nation - News from March 2, 1988

Hospitals now are required to have written plans for identifying potential organ donors for transplant operations under final rules announced by the Department of Health and Human Services. William Roper, administrator of the department’s Health Care Financing Administration, said the rules apply to all hospitals that participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The new plans will help find potential organ donors and ensure that families know about their options to donate or refuse to donate organs or tissues, he said. The new rules will require that, effective March 31, organ procurement organizations apply to the agency in writing to be approved as the single designated agency for a service area.