Reimbursement of Travel and Subsistence Expenses Toward Living Organ Donation Eligibility Guidelines, 35143-35145 [E8-14036]
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future filing, of a food additive petition
(FAP 6A3958) proposing that the food
additive regulations be amended to
provide for the safe use of alitame as a
sweetening agent or flavoring in food.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Blondell Anderson, Center for Food
Safety and Applied Nutrition (HFS–
265), Food and Drug Administration,
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SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In a notice
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September 29, 1986 (51 FR 34503), FDA
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Additives Permitted for Direct Addition
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Dated: June 12, 2008.
Laura M. Tarantino,
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Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.
[FR Doc. E8–13998 Filed 6–19–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160–01–S
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
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Health Resources and Service
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Dated: June 17, 2008.
Alexandra Huttinger,
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[FR Doc. E8–14039 Filed 6–19–08; 8:45 am]
Advisory Committee on
Interdisciplinary, Community-Based
Linkages; Notice of Meeting
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
In accordance with section 10(a)(2) of
the Federal Advisory Committee Act
(Pub. L. 92–463), notice is hereby given
of the following meeting:
Name: Advisory Committee on
Interdisciplinary, Community-Based
Linkages (ACICBL).
Dates and Times: July 16, 2008, 11 a.m.–
4 p.m., EST. July 17, 2008, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.,
EST.
Place: (Audio Conference Call).
Status: The meeting will be open to the
public; audio conference access limited only
by availability of telephone ports.
Purpose: The Committee will be focusing
on rural issues and how the Title VII
Interdisciplinary, Community-Based Training
Grant Programs identified under sections
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16:53 Jun 19, 2008
Jkt 214001
751–756, Part D of the Public Health Service
Act can respond to the current rural
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development; telemedicine; and other
specific rural health care issues. The meeting
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rural America and formulate appropriate
recommendations to the Secretary and to the
Congress regarding a variety of training
strategies to address the health workforce
shortage issues.
Agenda: The ACICBL agenda includes an
overview of the Committee’s general business
activities, presentations by experts on rural
healthcare workforce related issues, and
discussion sessions specific for the
development of recommendations to be
addressed in the Eighth Annual ACICBL
Report.
Agenda items are subject to change as
dictated by the priorities of the Committee.
Supplementary Information: The ACICBL
will meet on Wednesday, July 16 and
Thursday, July 17, 2008 from 11 a.m. to 4
p.m. (EST) via audio conference. To
participate in this audio conference call,
please dial 1–888–697–8510 and provide the
following information:
Leader’s Name: Mr. Lou Coccodrilli.
Passcode: 2214090.
For Further Information Contact: Anyone
requesting information regarding the
Committee should contact Louis D.
Coccodrilli, Designated Federal Official for
the ACICBL, Bureau of Health Professions,
Health Resources and Services
Administration, Parklawn Building, Rm 9–
36, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland
20857; (301) 443–6950 or
lcoccodrilli@hrsa.gov. Adriana Guerra, Public
Health Fellow, can also be contacted for
inquiries at (301) 443–6194 or
aguerra@hrsa.gov.
BILLING CODE 4165–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Health Resources and Services
Administration
Reimbursement of Travel and
Subsistence Expenses Toward Living
Organ Donation Eligibility Guidelines
Health Resources and Services
Administration, HHS.
AGENCY:
Publication of Change to
Program Eligibility Guidelines.
ACTION:
PO 00000
Frm 00028
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
35143
SUMMARY: This notice finalizes an
amendment to the eligibility guidelines
proposed on March 5, 2008, in the
Federal Register (73 FR 11930). The
purpose of this notice was to solicit
comments on the amendment to the
Program Eligibility Guidelines proposed
by HRSA concerning the
Reimbursement of Travel and
Subsistence Expenses Program.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
James F. Burdick, M.D., Director,
Division of Transplantation, Healthcare
Systems Bureau, Health Resources and
Services Administration (HRSA),
Parklawn Building, Room 12C–06, 5600
Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland
20857; telephone (301) 443–7577; fax
(301) 594–6095; or e-mail:
jburdick@hrsa.gov.
In its final
program eligibility guidelines, HRSA
explained that ‘‘[t]he Program will pay
for a total of up to five trips; three for
the donor and two for accompanying
persons. The accompanying persons
need not be the same each trip.’’ HRSA
proposes amending this paragraph to
read: ‘‘[t]he Program will pay for a total
of up to five trips; three for the donor
and two for accompanying persons.
However, in cases in which the
transplant center requests the donor to
return to the transplant center for
additional visits as a result of donor
complications or other health related
issues, the National Living Donor
Assistance Center (NLDAC) may
provide reimbursement for the
additional visit(s) for the donor and an
accompanying person. The
accompanying persons need not be the
same in each trip.’’ The purpose of this
proposed change is to accommodate
individuals who experience donor
complications or other health related
issues relating to donation.
HRSA received one public comment
on this request. The respondent
endorses HRSA’s proposed amendment
because ‘‘it will accommodate
individuals who experience donor
complications or other health related
issues relating to donation’’. HRSA
wishes to thank everyone who reviewed
this request even if a formal response
was not sent to HRSA.
HRSA approved the amendment to
the Reimbursement of Travel and
Subsistence Expenses Program
Eligibility Guidelines as published in
the Federal Register. The amended
eligibility criteria are included in this
document. The amended eligibility
criteria guidelines document is also
available at https://
www.livingdonorassistancecenter.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
E:\FR\FM\20JNN1.SGM
20JNN1
35144
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 120 / Friday, June 20, 2008 / Notices
National Living Donor Assistance
Center (NLDAC) Program Eligibility
Guidelines as Amended
Section 3 of the Organ Donation and
Recovery Improvement Act (ODRIA), 42
U.S.C. 274f, establishes the authority
and legislative parameters to provide
reimbursement for travel and
subsistence expenses incurred towards
living organ donation. HRSA awarded a
cooperative agreement to the Regents of
the University of Michigan (Michigan),
which partnered with the American
Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS),
to establish the National Living Donor
Assistance Center (NLDAC) to operate
this Program.
As provided for in the statutory
authorization, this Program is intended
to provide reimbursement only in those
circumstances when payment cannot
reasonably be covered by other sources
of reimbursement. The NLDAC, under
Federal law, cannot provide
reimbursement to any living organ
donor for travel and other qualifying
expenses if the donor can receive
reimbursement for these expenses from
any of the following sources:
(1) Any State compensation program,
an insurance policy, or any Federal or
State health benefits program;
(2) An entity that provides health
services on a prepaid basis; or
(3) The recipient of the organ.
In response to public solicitation of
comments, a threshold of income
eligibility for the recipient of the organ
is 300 percent of the Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS)
Poverty Guidelines in effect at the time
of the eligibility determination. The
Program assumes that recipients whose
income exceeds this level will have the
ability to reimburse the living organ
donor for the travel and subsistence
expenses and any other qualifying
expenses that can be authorized by the
Secretary of HHS. The Program provides
an exception to this rule for financial
hardships. A transplant social worker,
or appropriate transplant center
representative, based on a complete
recipient evaluation, can provide an
official statement, notwithstanding the
recipient’s income level, that the
recipient of the organ would face
significant financial hardship if required
to pay for the qualifying living organ
donor expenses. A recipient’s financial
hardship is defined as circumstances in
which the recipient’s income exceeds
300 percent of the HHS Poverty
Guidelines in effect at the time of the
eligibility determination, but the
individual will have difficulty paying
the donor’s expenses due to other
significant expenses. Whether or not
hardship exists in a particular case
requires a fact-specific analysis;
examples of significant expenses
include circumstances such as paying
for medical expenses not covered by
insurance or providing significant
financial support for a family member
not living in the household (e.g., elderly
parent). Each waiver request shall be
made in writing. The NLDAC will
review each written financial hardship
request and (upon consultation with
HRSA in complicated cases) make the
determination as to whether
reimbursement will be approved based
on the merits of the request.
All persons who wish to become
living organ donors are eligible to
receive reimbursement for their travel
and qualified expenses if they cannot
receive reimbursement from the sources
outlined above and if all the
requirements outlined in the Criteria for
Donor Reimbursement Section are
satisfied. However, because of the
limited funds available, prospective
living donors who are most likely not
able to cover these expenses will receive
priority.
The ability to cover these expenses is
determined based on an evaluation of
(1) the donor and recipient’s income, in
relation to the HHS Poverty Guidelines
(described in the 2007 HHS Poverty
Guidelines table below), and (2)
financial hardship. As a general matter,
income refers to the donor or recipient’s
total household income. A donor may
be able to demonstrate financial
hardship, even if the donor’s income
exceeds 300 percent of the HHS Poverty
Guidelines, if the donor will have
difficulty paying the qualifying
expenses due to other significant
expenses. Although all requests will be
reviewed on a case-by-case basis,
examples of significant expenses
include circumstances such as
providing significant financial support
for a family member not living in the
household (e.g., elderly parent), loss of
income due to donation process. Waiver
requests by the transplant center, on
behalf of the donor, shall be made in
writing and shall clearly describe the
circumstances for the waiver request.
The NLDAC will review waiver requests
and (upon consultation with HRSA in
complicated cases) make determinations
regarding the approval or disapproval of
waivers.
Donors will be given preference in the
following order of priority:
Preference Category 1: The donor’s
income and the recipient’s income are
each 300 percent or less of HHS Poverty
Guidelines in effect at the time of the
eligibility determination in their
respective States of primary residence.
Preference Category 2: Although the
donor’s income exceeds 300 percent of
the HHS Poverty Guidelines in effect in
the State of primary residence at the
time of the eligibility determination, the
donor demonstrates financial hardship.
The recipient’s income is at or below
300 percent of the HHS Poverty
Guidelines in effect in the State of
primary residence at the time of the
eligibility determination.
Preference Category 3: Any living
organ donor, regardless of income or
financial hardship, if the recipient’s
income is at or below 300 percent of the
HHS Poverty Guidelines in effect in the
recipient’s State of primary residence at
the time of the eligibility determination.
Preference Category 4: Any living
organ donor, regardless of income or
financial hardship, if the recipient (with
income above 300 percent of the HHS
Poverty Guidelines in effect in the State
of primary residence at the time of the
eligibility determination) demonstrates
financial hardship.
The HHS Poverty Guidelines for 2007
(Federal Register, Vol. 72, No. 15,
January 24, 2007, pp. 3147–3148) are
shown in the table below.
2007 HHS POVERTY GUIDELINES
48 contiguous
states and DC
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
Persons in family or household
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:53 Jun 19, 2008
Jkt 214001
PO 00000
Frm 00029
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
$10,210
13,690
17,170
20,650
24,130
27,610
31,090
34,570
E:\FR\FM\20JNN1.SGM
20JNN1
Alaska
$12,770
17,120
21,470
25,820
30,170
34,520
38,870
43,220
Hawaii
$11,750
15,750
19,750
23,750
27,750
31,750
35,750
39,750
35145
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 120 / Friday, June 20, 2008 / Notices
2007 HHS POVERTY GUIDELINES—Continued
48 contiguous
states and DC
Persons in family or household
For each additional person, add ............................................................................................
Alaska
3,480
Hawaii
4,350
4,000
Source: FEDERAL REGISTER, Vol. 72, No. 15, January 24, 2007, pp. 3147–3148.
These guidelines are updated
periodically.
Criteria for Donor Reimbursement
1. Any individual who in good faith
incurs travel and other qualifying
expenses toward the intended donation
of an organ.
2. Donor and recipient of the organ
are U.S. citizens or lawfully admitted
residents of the U.S.
3. Donor and recipient have primary
residences in the U.S. or its territories.
4. Travel is originating from the
donor’s primary residence.
5. Donor and recipient certify that
they understand and are in compliance
with Section 301 of NOTA (42 U.S.C.
274e) which states in part ‘‘* * * . It
shall be unlawful for any person to
knowingly acquire, receive, or otherwise
transfer any human organ for valuable
consideration for use in human
transplantation if the transfer affects
interstate commerce.’’
6. The transplant center where the
donation procedure occurs certifies to
its status of good standing with the
Organ Procurement and Transplantation
Network (OPTN).
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
Qualifying Expenses
For the purposes of the
Reimbursement of Travel and
Subsistence Expenses toward Living
Organ Donation Program, qualifying
expenses presently include only travel,
lodging, and meals and incidental
expenses incurred by the donor and/or
his/her accompanying person(s) as part
of:
(1) Donor evaluation, clinic visit or
hospitalization,
(2) Hospitalization for the living
donor surgical procedure, and/or
(3) Medical or surgical follow-up
clinic visit or hospitalization within 90
days following the living donation
procedure.
The Program will pay for a total of up
to five trips; three for the donor and two
for accompanying persons. However, in
cases in which the transplant center
requests the donor to return to the
transplant center for additional visits as
a result of donor complications or other
health related issues, NLDAC may
provide reimbursement for the
additional visit(s) for the donor and an
accompanying person. The
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:53 Jun 19, 2008
Jkt 214001
accompanying persons need not be the
same in each trip.
The total Federal reimbursement for
qualified expenses during the donation
process for the donor and accompanying
individuals shall not exceed $6,000.00.
Reimbursement for qualifying expenses
shall be provided at the Federal perdiem rate, except for hotel
accommodation, which shall be
reimbursed at no more than 150 percent
of the Federal per-diem rate.
For donor and recipient pairs
participating in a paired exchange
program, the applicable eligibility
criteria for the originally intended
recipient shall be considered for the
purpose of reimbursement of qualifying
donor expenses even though the final
recipient of the donated organ may not
be the recipient identified in the
original donor-recipient pair.
Maximum Number of Prospective
Donors per Recipient
• Kidney: One donor at a time with
a maximum of three donors.
• Liver: One donor at a time with a
maximum of five donors.
• Lung: Two donors at a time with a
maximum of six donors.
Special Provisions
Many factors may prevent the
intended and willing donor from
proceeding with the donation.
Circumstances that would prevent the
transplant or donation from proceeding
include: present health status of the
intended donor or recipient, perceived
long-term risks to the intended donor,
justified circumstances such as acts of
God (e.g., major storms or hurricanes),
or a circumstance when an intended
donor proceeds toward donation in
good faith, subject to a case-by-case
evaluation by the NLDAC, but then
elects not to pursue donation. In such
cases, the intended donor and
accompanying persons may receive
reimbursement for qualified expenses
incurred as if the donation had been
completed. Under Program policy, a
form will be filed with the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS) reporting funds
disbursed as income for expenses not
incurred.
PO 00000
Frm 00030
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Dated: June 13, 2008.
Elizabeth M. Duke,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. E8–14036 Filed 6–19–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Transport of Laboratory Personnel
Exposed to Infectious Agents From
Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD to the
National Institutes of Health Clinical
Center, Bethesda, MD
SUMMARY: In accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act, 42
U.S.C. 4321–4347, the NIH is issuing
this notice to advise the public that an
environmental impact statement will be
prepared for the transport of laboratory
personnel exposed to infectious agents
from Fort Detrick, Frederick, Maryland
to the National Institutes of Health
Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Valerie Nottingham, Chief,
Environmental Quality Branch, Division
of Environmental Protection, Office of
Research Facilities, NIH, B13/2S11,
9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda,
Maryland 20892, telephone 301–496–
7775; fax 301–480–8056; or e-mail
nihnepa@mail.nih.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Fort
Detrick is a U.S. Army Medical
Command installation located in
Frederick, Maryland, USA. Its 1,200
acres support a multi-governmental
community that conducts biomedical
research and development, medical
material management, global medical
communications and the study of
foreign plant pathogens. It is home to
the U.S. Army Medical Research and
Materiel Command (USAMRMC), with
its U.S. Army Medical Research
Institute of Infectious Diseases
(USAMRIID), as well as to the National
Cancer Institute-Frederick (NCIFrederick). It is the home of the National
Interagency Biodefense Campus.
The National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a
component of NIH, will be the occupant
E:\FR\FM\20JNN1.SGM
20JNN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 120 (Friday, June 20, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35143-35145]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-14036]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Resources and Services Administration
Reimbursement of Travel and Subsistence Expenses Toward Living
Organ Donation Eligibility Guidelines
AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS.
ACTION: Publication of Change to Program Eligibility Guidelines.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice finalizes an amendment to the eligibility
guidelines proposed on March 5, 2008, in the Federal Register (73 FR
11930). The purpose of this notice was to solicit comments on the
amendment to the Program Eligibility Guidelines proposed by HRSA
concerning the Reimbursement of Travel and Subsistence Expenses
Program.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James F. Burdick, M.D., Director,
Division of Transplantation, Healthcare Systems Bureau, Health
Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Parklawn Building, Room
12C-06, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857; telephone (301)
443-7577; fax (301) 594-6095; or e-mail: jburdick@hrsa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In its final program eligibility guidelines,
HRSA explained that ``[t]he Program will pay for a total of up to five
trips; three for the donor and two for accompanying persons. The
accompanying persons need not be the same each trip.'' HRSA proposes
amending this paragraph to read: ``[t]he Program will pay for a total
of up to five trips; three for the donor and two for accompanying
persons. However, in cases in which the transplant center requests the
donor to return to the transplant center for additional visits as a
result of donor complications or other health related issues, the
National Living Donor Assistance Center (NLDAC) may provide
reimbursement for the additional visit(s) for the donor and an
accompanying person. The accompanying persons need not be the same in
each trip.'' The purpose of this proposed change is to accommodate
individuals who experience donor complications or other health related
issues relating to donation.
HRSA received one public comment on this request. The respondent
endorses HRSA's proposed amendment because ``it will accommodate
individuals who experience donor complications or other health related
issues relating to donation''. HRSA wishes to thank everyone who
reviewed this request even if a formal response was not sent to HRSA.
HRSA approved the amendment to the Reimbursement of Travel and
Subsistence Expenses Program Eligibility Guidelines as published in the
Federal Register. The amended eligibility criteria are included in this
document. The amended eligibility criteria guidelines document is also
available at https://www.livingdonorassistancecenter.gov.
[[Page 35144]]
National Living Donor Assistance Center (NLDAC) Program Eligibility
Guidelines as Amended
Section 3 of the Organ Donation and Recovery Improvement Act
(ODRIA), 42 U.S.C. 274f, establishes the authority and legislative
parameters to provide reimbursement for travel and subsistence expenses
incurred towards living organ donation. HRSA awarded a cooperative
agreement to the Regents of the University of Michigan (Michigan),
which partnered with the American Society of Transplant Surgeons
(ASTS), to establish the National Living Donor Assistance Center
(NLDAC) to operate this Program.
As provided for in the statutory authorization, this Program is
intended to provide reimbursement only in those circumstances when
payment cannot reasonably be covered by other sources of reimbursement.
The NLDAC, under Federal law, cannot provide reimbursement to any
living organ donor for travel and other qualifying expenses if the
donor can receive reimbursement for these expenses from any of the
following sources:
(1) Any State compensation program, an insurance policy, or any
Federal or State health benefits program;
(2) An entity that provides health services on a prepaid basis; or
(3) The recipient of the organ.
In response to public solicitation of comments, a threshold of
income eligibility for the recipient of the organ is 300 percent of the
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Poverty Guidelines in
effect at the time of the eligibility determination. The Program
assumes that recipients whose income exceeds this level will have the
ability to reimburse the living organ donor for the travel and
subsistence expenses and any other qualifying expenses that can be
authorized by the Secretary of HHS. The Program provides an exception
to this rule for financial hardships. A transplant social worker, or
appropriate transplant center representative, based on a complete
recipient evaluation, can provide an official statement,
notwithstanding the recipient's income level, that the recipient of the
organ would face significant financial hardship if required to pay for
the qualifying living organ donor expenses. A recipient's financial
hardship is defined as circumstances in which the recipient's income
exceeds 300 percent of the HHS Poverty Guidelines in effect at the time
of the eligibility determination, but the individual will have
difficulty paying the donor's expenses due to other significant
expenses. Whether or not hardship exists in a particular case requires
a fact-specific analysis; examples of significant expenses include
circumstances such as paying for medical expenses not covered by
insurance or providing significant financial support for a family
member not living in the household (e.g., elderly parent). Each waiver
request shall be made in writing. The NLDAC will review each written
financial hardship request and (upon consultation with HRSA in
complicated cases) make the determination as to whether reimbursement
will be approved based on the merits of the request.
All persons who wish to become living organ donors are eligible to
receive reimbursement for their travel and qualified expenses if they
cannot receive reimbursement from the sources outlined above and if all
the requirements outlined in the Criteria for Donor Reimbursement
Section are satisfied. However, because of the limited funds available,
prospective living donors who are most likely not able to cover these
expenses will receive priority.
The ability to cover these expenses is determined based on an
evaluation of (1) the donor and recipient's income, in relation to the
HHS Poverty Guidelines (described in the 2007 HHS Poverty Guidelines
table below), and (2) financial hardship. As a general matter, income
refers to the donor or recipient's total household income. A donor may
be able to demonstrate financial hardship, even if the donor's income
exceeds 300 percent of the HHS Poverty Guidelines, if the donor will
have difficulty paying the qualifying expenses due to other significant
expenses. Although all requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case
basis, examples of significant expenses include circumstances such as
providing significant financial support for a family member not living
in the household (e.g., elderly parent), loss of income due to donation
process. Waiver requests by the transplant center, on behalf of the
donor, shall be made in writing and shall clearly describe the
circumstances for the waiver request. The NLDAC will review waiver
requests and (upon consultation with HRSA in complicated cases) make
determinations regarding the approval or disapproval of waivers.
Donors will be given preference in the following order of priority:
Preference Category 1: The donor's income and the recipient's
income are each 300 percent or less of HHS Poverty Guidelines in effect
at the time of the eligibility determination in their respective States
of primary residence.
Preference Category 2: Although the donor's income exceeds 300
percent of the HHS Poverty Guidelines in effect in the State of primary
residence at the time of the eligibility determination, the donor
demonstrates financial hardship. The recipient's income is at or below
300 percent of the HHS Poverty Guidelines in effect in the State of
primary residence at the time of the eligibility determination.
Preference Category 3: Any living organ donor, regardless of income
or financial hardship, if the recipient's income is at or below 300
percent of the HHS Poverty Guidelines in effect in the recipient's
State of primary residence at the time of the eligibility
determination.
Preference Category 4: Any living organ donor, regardless of income
or financial hardship, if the recipient (with income above 300 percent
of the HHS Poverty Guidelines in effect in the State of primary
residence at the time of the eligibility determination) demonstrates
financial hardship.
The HHS Poverty Guidelines for 2007 (Federal Register, Vol. 72, No.
15, January 24, 2007, pp. 3147-3148) are shown in the table below.
2007 HHS Poverty Guidelines
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
48 contiguous
Persons in family or household states and DC Alaska Hawaii
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1............................................................ $10,210 $12,770 $11,750
2............................................................ 13,690 17,120 15,750
3............................................................ 17,170 21,470 19,750
4............................................................ 20,650 25,820 23,750
5............................................................ 24,130 30,170 27,750
6............................................................ 27,610 34,520 31,750
7............................................................ 31,090 38,870 35,750
8............................................................ 34,570 43,220 39,750
[[Page 35145]]
For each additional person, add.............................. 3,480 4,350 4,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Federal Register, Vol. 72, No. 15, January 24, 2007, pp. 3147-3148.
These guidelines are updated periodically.
Criteria for Donor Reimbursement
1. Any individual who in good faith incurs travel and other
qualifying expenses toward the intended donation of an organ.
2. Donor and recipient of the organ are U.S. citizens or lawfully
admitted residents of the U.S.
3. Donor and recipient have primary residences in the U.S. or its
territories.
4. Travel is originating from the donor's primary residence.
5. Donor and recipient certify that they understand and are in
compliance with Section 301 of NOTA (42 U.S.C. 274e) which states in
part ``* * * . It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly
acquire, receive, or otherwise transfer any human organ for valuable
consideration for use in human transplantation if the transfer affects
interstate commerce.''
6. The transplant center where the donation procedure occurs
certifies to its status of good standing with the Organ Procurement and
Transplantation Network (OPTN).
Qualifying Expenses
For the purposes of the Reimbursement of Travel and Subsistence
Expenses toward Living Organ Donation Program, qualifying expenses
presently include only travel, lodging, and meals and incidental
expenses incurred by the donor and/or his/her accompanying person(s) as
part of:
(1) Donor evaluation, clinic visit or hospitalization,
(2) Hospitalization for the living donor surgical procedure, and/or
(3) Medical or surgical follow-up clinic visit or hospitalization
within 90 days following the living donation procedure.
The Program will pay for a total of up to five trips; three for the
donor and two for accompanying persons. However, in cases in which the
transplant center requests the donor to return to the transplant center
for additional visits as a result of donor complications or other
health related issues, NLDAC may provide reimbursement for the
additional visit(s) for the donor and an accompanying person. The
accompanying persons need not be the same in each trip.
The total Federal reimbursement for qualified expenses during the
donation process for the donor and accompanying individuals shall not
exceed $6,000.00. Reimbursement for qualifying expenses shall be
provided at the Federal per-diem rate, except for hotel accommodation,
which shall be reimbursed at no more than 150 percent of the Federal
per-diem rate.
For donor and recipient pairs participating in a paired exchange
program, the applicable eligibility criteria for the originally
intended recipient shall be considered for the purpose of reimbursement
of qualifying donor expenses even though the final recipient of the
donated organ may not be the recipient identified in the original
donor-recipient pair.
Maximum Number of Prospective Donors per Recipient
Kidney: One donor at a time with a maximum of three
donors.
Liver: One donor at a time with a maximum of five donors.
Lung: Two donors at a time with a maximum of six donors.
Special Provisions
Many factors may prevent the intended and willing donor from
proceeding with the donation. Circumstances that would prevent the
transplant or donation from proceeding include: present health status
of the intended donor or recipient, perceived long-term risks to the
intended donor, justified circumstances such as acts of God (e.g.,
major storms or hurricanes), or a circumstance when an intended donor
proceeds toward donation in good faith, subject to a case-by-case
evaluation by the NLDAC, but then elects not to pursue donation. In
such cases, the intended donor and accompanying persons may receive
reimbursement for qualified expenses incurred as if the donation had
been completed. Under Program policy, a form will be filed with the
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reporting funds disbursed as income for
expenses not incurred.
Dated: June 13, 2008.
Elizabeth M. Duke,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. E8-14036 Filed 6-19-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P