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Organ Transplant System ‘in Chaos’ as Waiting Lists Are Ignored

March 13, 2025

There are significant issues within the U.S. organ transplant system. This article focuses on the practices of organ procurement organizations like Lifebanc in Northeast Ohio. This story focuses on Marcus, a man who was next in line for a kidney transplant but was skipped multiple times in favor of patients at different hospitals. This practice raises concerns about fairness and transparency in organ allocation, as some hospitals appear to benefit more than others.

The broader issue is that the U.S. organ transplant system, controlled by a single national network, lacks oversight and transparency, leading to inequities in who receives life-saving organs. Reforms have been proposed to increase accountability and ensure that the official waitlist is followed more strictly. The video calls attention to the need for systemic changes to prevent hospitals from unfairly influencing organ allocation and to ensure that every patient has an equal chance at receiving a transplant.

For more information see Bryan M. Rosenthal, Mark Hansen and Jeremy White, “Organ Transplant System ‘in Chaos’ as Waiting Lists Are Ignored,” New York Times, March 10, 2025.

Special thanks to Lewis Saret (Attorney, Washington, D.C.) for bringing this article to my attention.