The new liver allocation policy went into effect today, May 14, along with changes to the process for evaluating and assigning liver exception scores.
The new policy provides a fairer, more equitable system for all liver patients—no matter where they live—as they wait for a life-saving transplant. It’s expected to reduce waitlist mortality by roughly 100 fewer deaths each year, will allow more children to receive live-saving transplants, and will correct an inequity that emerged over time within the old policy that led to unfair advantages and disadvantages based on where liver transplant recipients live.
The transplant community, including a committee comprising transplant experts, organ recipients, and donor families from around the country and the OPTN Board of Directors—with extensive input from the public—came together to develop and approve the new policy.
Until the dream comes true and we no longer have long waiting lists in the U.S., the transplant community will continue its work to find new ways to reduce the number of patients who die each year waiting. This new policy will support those efforts, bringing long-awaited relief to seriously ill patients awaiting a life-saving transplant.
Additional details about the policy are available on the liver distribution page.
