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To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish a demonstration program to provide payment under the Medicare program for living kidney donor transplant facilitator training.
Summary
This bill establishes an 8-year Medicare demonstration program to pay hospitals for training programs that help Medicare beneficiaries with kidney disease identify living kidney donors and navigate the donation process. Eligible hospitals are those where kidney transplants are performed and will receive payment for the reasonable costs of operating these training programs. The program trains facilitators to assist Medicare beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease in identifying prospective living kidney donors and successfully completing the donation process. The Secretary of Health and Human Services must report to Congress within 6 years on the program's impact, including any increase in living kidney donors and transplants, outcome measures, cost savings to Medicare, and qualitative information from facilitators, donors, and recipients. Follow-up annual reports are required for the subsequent 2 years.
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Sponsor (1)
3 cosponsors
Actions (2)
- Feb 13, 2026 Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. · house
- Feb 13, 2026 Introduced in House
Similar bills (6)
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Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 13, 2026
Ms. Malliotakis (for herself and Mr. Gottheimer) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish a demonstration program to provide payment under the Medicare program for living kidney donor transplant facilitator training.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Living Organ Volunteer Engagement Act” or the “LOVE Act”.
SEC. 2. MEDICARE DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM TO PROVIDE PAYMENT FOR LIVING KIDNEY DONOR TRANSPLANT FACILITATOR TRAINING.
Section 1881 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395rr) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
“(i) Living Kidney Donor Transplant Facilitator Training Demonstration Program.—
“(1) In general.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall establish an 8-year demonstration program under which, for each year of the program, the Secretary shall pay to each eligible hospital participating in the program for such year an amount equal to the reasonable costs of the hospital in operating a living kidney donor transplant facilitator training program described in paragraph (3) for such year, as determined by the Secretary.
“(2) Eligible hospital.—A hospital is eligible to participate in the demonstration program under this subsection if such hospital is a hospital in which kidney transplants are performed.
“(3) Living kidney donor transplant facilitator training program described.—A living kidney donor transplant facilitator training program described in this paragraph is a program operated by a hospital that trains individuals to—
“(A) assist individuals who are entitled to benefits under parts A and B of this title and have been determined to have end-stage renal disease in identifying prospective living kidney donors; and
“(B) assist individuals entitled to benefits under parts A and B of this title pursuant to subsection (d) in successfully navigating the kidney donation process.
“(4) Waiver.—The Secretary may waive such provisions of this title as may be necessary in order to implement the demonstration program.
“(5) Reports.—
“(A) Initial report.—Not later than 6 years after the date of the enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report that includes, with respect to the 5- year period following such date of enactment, the following information:
“(i) Any increase in the number of living kidney donors, as compared to the 5-year period preceding such date of enactment.
“(ii) Any increase in the number of transplants conducted using kidneys donated by living donors, as compared to the 5-year period preceding such date of enactment.
“(iii) Outcome measures for individuals that received kidneys from living donors during such period.
“(iv) Any cost savings to the Medicare program attributable to the increase in transplant services and the decline in dialysis services, as compared to the 5-year period preceding such date of enactment.
“(v) Qualitative information with respect to transplants conducted using kidneys donated by living donors during such period, as determined based on interviews of facilitators, volunteers at eligible hospitals participating in the demonstration program established under paragraph (1), living kidney donors, and kidney transplant recipients.
“(B) Subsequent reports.—Not later than 1 year after the initial report is submitted under subparagraph (A), and annually thereafter for the next 2 years, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report that includes updates to the information described in clauses (i) through (v) of such subparagraph.
“(C) Definitions.—In this paragraph:
“(i) Appropriate committees of congress.— The term ‘appropriate committees of Congress’ means—
“(I) the Committee on Ways and Means and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives; and
“(II) the Committee on Finance of the Senate.
“(ii) Facilitator.—The term ‘facilitator’ means an individual who has received training under a living kidney donor transplant facilitator training program described in paragraph (3).”. <all>
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