U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
COVID-19 Emergency Policies and Data Collection
- March, 2020 Policy Notice
- April, 2020 Policy Notice
- Summer, 2020 Public Comment Proposal
- Board Briefing Paper
- December 2020, Policy Notice
Implemented
- 1.4.F: Updates to Candidate Data during 2020 COVID-19 Emergency
- 3.7.D: Applications for Modification of Kidney Waiting Time during 2020 COVID-19 Emergency
- 18.1: Data Submission Requirements
- 18.2: Timely Collection of Data
- 18.5.A: Reporting Requirements after Living Kidney Donation
- 18.5.B: Reporting Requirements after Living Liver Donation
Pending Implementation
Target: January 2021
- Policy 2.2: Required Deceased Donor Information
Actions Pending Implementation
Target implementation date: February 2021
Pancreas Removal of DSA
12/2019 Board action
Kidney Removal of DSA
12/2019 Board action
Addressing Medically Urgent Candidates in New Kidney Allocation Policy
6/2020 Board action
Distribution of Kidneys and Pancreata from Alaska
6/2020 Board action
Modifications to Released Kidney and Pancreas Allocation
6/2020 Board action
Target implementation date: February 9, 2021
Guidance Addressing the Use of Pediatric Heart Exceptions
12/2020 Board action
Guidance and Policy Addressing Adult Heart Allocation
12/2020 Board action
- Guidance for Adult Heart Exceptions for Status 2 Candidates Experiencing Cardiogenic Shock
Target implementation date: March 2021
Align OPTN Policy with US PHS Guideline 2020
Split implementation. Actions targeted for June 2021 below
12/2020 Board Action
- 1.2: Definitions
- 2.2: OPO Responsibilities
- 2.4: Deceased Donor Medical and Behavioral History
- 2.5: Hemodilution Assessment
- 2.7.A: Exceptions to HIV Screening Requirement
- 2.9: Required Deceased Donor Infectious Disease Testing
- 13.11: Receiving and Accepting KPD Match Offers
- 14.1.A: Living Donor Psychosocial Evaluation Requirements
- 14.4.A: Living Donor Medical Evaluation Requirements
- 14.9.B: Psychosocial and Medical Evaluation Requirements for Domino and Non-Domino Therapeutic Donors
- 15.2: Potential Candidate Screening Requirements
- 15.3.B: Donors with Risk Identified Pre-Transplant
- 15.3.C: Recipients of Organs from Donors with Increased Risk of Disease Transmission
- 16.3.D: internal labeling of Extra Vessels
Guidance and Policy Addressing Adult Heart Allocation
12/2020 Board action
- Policy 6.1.A.ii: Non-dischargeable, surgically implanted, non-endovascular biventricular support device
- Policy 6.1.C.vi: Mechanical Circulatory Support Devise (MCSD) with Device Infection
- Policy 6.1.D.ii: Inotropes without Hemodynamic Monitoring
Modify Data Submission Policies
12/2019 Board action
Expedited Placement of Livers
12/2019 Board action
Target implementation date: June 2021
Align OPTN Policy with US PHS Guideline 2020
12/2020 Board Action
- Policy 14.8.B: Living Donor Specimen Collection and Storage
- Policy 14.3: Informed Consent Requirements
Further Enhancements to the National Liver Review Board
12/20 Board action
Combined Policy Notice for VCA Membership Requirements (2020)
6/2015, 6/2016, 6/2018 Board action
VCA Membership Bylaws Requirements
6/2015 Board action
VCA - List Covered Body Parts - 1 of 2
6/2016 Board action
- Policy 1.2: Definitions
- Bylaws Appendix D: Membership Requirements for Transplant Hospitals and Transplant Programs; Appendix J: Membership Requirements for Vascularized Composite Allograft (VCA) Transplant Programs; and Appendix M: Definitions
Align VCA Program Membership Requirements with Other Programs
6/2018 Board action
National Heart Review Board for Pediatrics
6/2020 Board action
Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) Equivalency Tables Update 2020
6/2020 Board action
Changes to Islet Bylaws
12/2018 Board action
Target implementation date: July 2021
Updated Cohort for Calculation of the LAS
12/2020 Board action
Target implementation date: June 2022
OPTN Data Collection Changes: Update to VCA Transplant Outcomes Data Collection
6/2020 Board action
Programming VCA Allocation in UNet
12/2020 Board action
Modify Data Collection on Living VCA Donors (pending OMB approval)
12/2020 Board action
Implemented
2020
Establish Pediatric Training and Experience
12/2015 Board actions
Effective Date: December 7, 2020
Revise Pediatric Emergency Membership Exception Pathway
12/2017 Board action
Effective date: December 7, 2020
Incorporating COVID-19 Related Organ Failure In Candidate Listings
10/2020 Board action
Effective date: October 28, 2020
Enhancements to the National Liver Review Board
6/2020 Board action
- Policies 9.4.A: MELD or PELD Score Exception Requests and 9.4.D: Calculation of Median MELD or PELD at Transplant: Effective August 4, 2020
- Operational Guidelines: Effective August 4, 2020
- Operational Guidance: Effective August 4, 2020
- Policies 9.4.C: MELD or PELD Score Exception Extensions and 9.5.I.vii: Extensions of HCC Exceptions: Effective September 10, 2020
Guidance and Policy Modifications Addressing Blood Type Determination
6/2020 Board action
- Guidance: Effective June 8, 2020
- Policy: Effective September 1, 2020
Modify the Conflicts of Interests Bylaws
6/2020 Board action
Effective date: July 1, 2020
Creation of OPTN Heart and Lung Committees
3/2020 Board action
Effective date: July 1, 2020
Modify Lung TRF to Improve Post Transplant Lung Function Data
6/2018 Board action
Effective date: June 30, 2020
Eliminate the Use of Regions in VCA Distribution
6/2019 Board action
Effective date: June 18, 2020
Modify HOPE Act Variance to Include Other Organs
6/2019 Board action
Effective date: May 21, 2020
COVID-19 Emergency Policy Package (PDF - 765 K)
04/2020 Executive Committee action
Effective date: April 3, 2020
Clarifications on Reporting Maintenance Dialysis
6/2019 Board action
Effective date: April 1, 2020
Updates to Candidate Data During 2020 COVID-19 Emergency
03/2020 Executive Committee action
Effective date: March 17, 2020
Variances Removal Policy Notice
12/2019 Board action
Effective date: March 1, 2020
Clarification of Pre-Existing Liver Disease
12/2019 Board action
Effective March 1, 2020
Addressing HLA Typing Errors
12/2018 Board action
Effective February 27, 2020
Access for Urgent Liver Candidates in Hawaii & Puerto Rico
01/2020 Executive Committee action
Effective February 18, 2020
Liver and Intestine Distribution Using Distance from Donor Hospital
12/2018 Board action
Effective February 4, 2020
Reduce Reporting Burdens and Clarify Policies on Extra Vessels
6/2018 Board action
Effective January 29, 2020
- Table 16.1: Required information on internal labels for extra vessels, number 7 (donor infectious disease results)
Update Transplant Hospital Definition
12/2016 Board action
Effective January 13, 2020
Eliminate the Use of DSAs in Thoracic Organ Distribution
6/2019 Board action
Effective January 9, 2020
2019
Adding DR Antigens and Equivalences
12/2019 Board Action
Effective December 4, 2019
Hope Act Policy and Mini Brief
12/2019 Board action
Effective December 3, 2019
Modify Appointment Process for the Histocompatibility Vice Chair
12/2019 Board Action
Effective December 3, 2019
Aligning Units of Distribution in Closed Variance for Split Liver Transplantation
12/2019 Board Action
Effective December 3, 2019
Split Liver Variance
6/2019 Board action
Effective December 3, 2019
Revising Priority Points in Kidney Paired Donation Program
12/2015 Board action; 10/2019 Executive Committee action
Effective October 24, 2019
Improving Dual Kidney Allocation
12/2017 Board action
Effective September 2019
Improving en Bloc Kidney Allocation
12/2017 Board action
Effective September 2019
Changes to Waiting Time Criteria for Kidney-Pancreas Candidates
6/2018 Board action
Effective 7/11/2019
Guidance on Effective Practices in Organ Distribution
6/2019 Board action
Effective 6/10/2019
Ethical Iimplications of Multi-Organ Transplants White Paper
6/2019 Board action
Effective 6/10/2019
Revised National Liver Review Board Policies
12/2018 Board action
Effective 5/14/2019
National Liver Review Board
6/2017 Board action
Effective 5/14/2019
Histocompatibility Bylaws Rewrite: General Supervisor
6/2015 Board action
Effective 3/1/2018
Pancreas Program Functional Inactivity
12/2018 Board action
Effective 4/8/2019
Addressing HLA Typing Errors
12/2018 Board action
Effective 3/1/2019
- Policy 2.2 (OPO responsibilities)
- Bylaws C.2.D (OPO affiliation)
Amend CPRA Calculator
1/2019 Executive Committee action
Effective 1/17/2019
2018
Change to Hospital-Based OPO Voting Privileges
12/2018 Board action
Effective 12/4/2018
Frameworks for Organ Distribution
12/2018 Board action
Effective 12/4/2018
Pediatric Transition and Transfer Guidance
12/2018 Board action
Effective 12/3/2018
Intestine Membership Bylaws Requirements
6/2015 Board action
Effective 11/20/2018
Modify Adult Heart Allocation
12/2016 Board action
Effective 10/18/2018
Clarification of Adult Heart Allocation
8/2017 Executive Committee action
Effective 10/18/2018
Review Board Guidance on HCM and RCM Exceptions
6/2018 Board action
Effective 10/18/2018
Modifications to the Distribution of Deceased Donor Lungs
6/2018 Board action
Effective 10/18/2018 (Policy 6.6.F)
Effective 6/12/2018 (Policies 1.2, 10.2.A, 10.4)
Clarify Informed Consent Policies for Transmittable Diseases
6/2018 Board action
Effective 9/1/2018
Reduce Reporting Burdens and Clarify Policies on Extra Vessels
6/2018 Board action
Effective 9/1/2018 (except table 16.1)
VCA - List Covered Body Parts (2 0f 2)
6/2016 Board action
- Bylaws Appendix J: Membership Requirements for Vascularized Composite Allograft (VCA) Transplant Programs: Effective September 1, 2018
- Policy 1.2: Definitions: Target implementation date: December 2021
- Bylaws Appendix D: Membership Requirements for Transplant Hospitals and Transplant Programs; Appendix J: Membership Requirements for Vascularized Composite Allograft (VCA) Transplant Programs; and Appendix M: Definitions: Target implementation date: December 2021
Effective date: 9/1/2018
Improving the Efficiency of Organ Allocation
12/2017 Board action
Effective 3/1/2018 (Policies 2.2, 2.11 and 2.12)
Effective 5/2/2018 (Policies 1.2 and 5.6.B)
Effective 6/12/2018 (Policies 2.11.A and 2.11.D)
Effective 6/13/2018 (Policy 5.6.C)
Revising OPTN Bylaws Appendix L
6/2018 Board action
Effective 6/12/2018
Retrospective Review of Clerical Policy Changes
6/2018 Executive Committee action
Effective 6/12/2018
Approved Transplant Fellowship Training Programs Bylaws
12/2017 Board action
Effective 3/1/2018
Definition of Pancreas Graft Failure
6/2015 Board action
Effective 2/28/2018
Modification to HCC Extension Criteria
Effective 2/5/2018
2017
HCC Auto Approval Criteria Changes
12/2016 Board action; 12/2017 Executive Committee action
Effective 12/12/2017
Lung Allocation Policy Modification
11/2017 Executive Committee action
Effective 11/24/2017
Standardize Organ Coding and Tracking System
2/2017 Executive Committee action
Effective 11/01/2017
Improve the Categorization of Living Donor Events (PDF - 135 K)
9/2017 executive committee action
Effective 10/18/2017
Add DQA-1 Equivalences Table
6/2016 Board action; 6/2017 Executive Committee action
Effective 9/12/2017
Update HLA Equivalency Tables
12/2015 Board action; 4/2017 Executive Committee action
Effective 9/12/2017
Personnel Procurement Requirements
12/2015 Board action
Effective 9/1/2017
Foreign Equivalent in Bylaws
12/2015 Board action
Effective 9/1/2017
Bylaws Rewrite
6/2017 Board action
Effective 9/1/2017
Primary Kidney Transplant Physician Update
12/2016 Board action
Effective 9/1/2017
Clarification to Apply Kidney Minimum Acceptance Criteria to Highly Sensitized Candidates
7/2017 Executive Committee action
Effective 9/1/2017
Simultaneous Liver-Kidney Allocation
6/2016 Board action
Effective 8/10/2017
Kidney: KAS Clarifications (part)
6/2016 Board action
Effective 6/29/2017
Retrospective Review of Clerical Changes to Policies
6/2017 Executive committee action
Effective 6/29/2017
Informed Consent Changes - Potential Living Donors
12/2016 Board action
Effective 6/1/2017
Improving Post-Transplant Communication (part)
6/2016 Board action; Required toxoplasmosis testing of all donors
Effective 4/6/2017
Pediatric Lung Allocation Changes
12/2015 Board action
Effective 3/30/2017
All Other KPD Guidelines to Policy (part)
6/2015 Board action
Effective 3/30/2017
Post-Implementation ABO Policy Changes
12/2016 Board action
Effective 3/1/2017
Primary Transplant Surgeon Changes
12/2016 Board action
Effective 3/1/2017
Primary Transplant Physician Subspecialty Changes
12/2016 Board action
Effective 3/1/2017
Remove Donor Location from Required Procurement Log
12/2016 Board action
Effective 3/1/2017
Changes to Imminent and Eligible Definitions
12/2016 Board action
Effective 1/1/2017
2016
Retrospective Review of Clerical Changes to Policies
12/2016 Executive committee action
Effective 11/10/2016
Registration Fee
6/2016 Board action
Effective 10/1/2016
DTAC Policy Clarification
6/2016 Executive Committee action
Effective 9/1/2016
OSC Policy Clarification
8/2016 Executive Committee action
Effective 9/1/2016
HOPE Act
6/2016 Board action
Effective 9/1/2016
Improving Post-Transplant Communication (part)
6/2016 Board action
Effective 9/1/2016
Kidney: KAS Clarifications (part)
6/2016 Board action
Effective 9/1/2016
Regional Councillor Vacancy
6/2016 Board action
Effective 9/1/2017
Living Donor Candidate Registration
4/2016 Executive Committee action
Effective 4/14/2016
Retrospective Review of Clerical Changes to Policies
12/2016 Executive committee action
Effective 4/14/2016
2015
KPD Informed Consent
6/2015 Board action
Effective 12/1/2015
Other Actions
11/2015 Executive Committee Actions
OSC - ABO Policy Updates
6/2015 Board action
KPD Updates
6/2015 Board action
Pancreas Updates
6/2015 Board action
POC Updates
6/2015 Board action
OPO Committee Updates
6/2015 Board action
VCA Committee Updates
6/2015 Board action
Clerical Changes to KP Transition Plan Policy
9/2014 Executive Committee action
Register Living Donor Candidates Before Transplant
8/2014 Executive Committee action
Clarification for OPOs on PHS Guideline Documentation
1/2014 action
8/2013 Executive Committee Actions
Discretionary Listing of Pediatric Lung Transplant Candidates
6/2013 action
5/2013 Executive Committee Actions
Liver Committee updates
6/2012 Board actions
Thoracic Committee Updates
6/2012 Board actions
Changes to Policy, Bylaws and Kidney Paired Donation Guidelines
5/2012 actions
New Post Transplant Requirements for Liver Programs
4/2012 actions
Looking for something else? Contact us at unoscommunications@unos.org or (804) 782-4800. We maintain an archive of historical OPTN documents.