Dozens of lawmakers call for liver ‘redistricting’ plan

[Clark]

http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/226834-dozens-of-lawmakers-call-for-liver-redistricting-plan

Dozens of lawmakers call for liver ‘redistricting’ plan
By Sarah Ferris

A debate over liver donations is gaining steam in Congress, with lawmakers in states with organ shortages along the coasts sparring with those representing the donor-rich heartland.
Dozens of lawmakers from the Northeast and West Coast signed a letter Thursday urging the federal government to redraw the map that governs its collection and distribution of livers.

Currently, livers are only given to recipients who live in the same geographic region as the donor. That means that states with higher mortality rates, like those in the South and Midwest, have larger supplies of livers but typically lower demand for donations.

Rep. Elliot Engel (D-N.Y.) said in a statement that the redistricting plan recently floated by the United Network for Organ Sharing, the government-contracted group that oversees liver donations, which help create a fairer system.