(Vox) – For some time now, independent analysts and investigative reporters have argued that OPOs [Organ Procurement Organizations] are underusing deceased donor organs by the tens of thousands. One report from 2019 estimated that every year 28,000 usable organs (mostly kidneys but also pancreata, hearts, livers, etc.) from deceased donors are never used; another put the number at 75,000. This, when the national waitlist for organs is more than 100,000 people long.

Historically, OPOs have faced perverse incentives. For instance, they were most often evaluated on the basis of how many organs are recovered per “eligible death,” but “eligible death” is a determination made by the OPOs themselves. That made it easy to juice the stats by, for instance, classifying some deaths as “ineligible” even when the organs were perfectly usable. (Read More)