The TRIO Board of Directors met in Washington, DC, for its annual meeting on October 10 and October 11, 2023. The meeting was hosted by CURA Strategies at its offices in Crystal City.
The first day included a briefing from Patrick Meade of CURA on important legislative activities. TRIO has worked with CURA on “Honor The Gift” activities, including 1) successfully extending immunosuppressive coverage under Medicare beyond 3 years and, currently, 2) extending Medicare payment for non-invasive testing to diagnose solid organ rejection (in lieu of biopsies). On the second day, the annual meeting covered internal business related to TRIO, its chapters, and its financial condition.
At the conclusion of the meeting, TRIO accompanied Patrick to Capitol Hill. CURA had arranged an afternoon of visits to the offices of 6 Senators to discuss with Senate staff the legislative agenda that TRIO is championing. Board members Lorrinda Gray-Davis, Steve Okonek, Ike Copperman, Calvin Henry, and TRIO Executive Director Gary Green made the trip to Capitol Hill. The team visited the offices of Senate Majority Leader Schumer and Senators Warnock, Gillibrand, Rubio, and Van Holten to meet with their health staff members. There will be more information about TRIO’s legislative agenda in this newsletter and in upcoming correspondence.
TRIO is very grateful to the entire team at CURA Strategies for hosting this meeting.
NEXT STEPS FOR THE HONOR THE GIFT CAMPAIGN
Cura Strategies has developed a follow-up campaign to continue the efforts on behalf of non-invasive solid organ rejection testing. The next step is a major program to recruit 200 people from every state to come to Washington and participate in a new round of Hill visits to our congressional members.
More information about this effort will be coming out very shortly with emails to TRIO chapter leaders and members.
HR 2544 INTERVIEWS
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the government agency under the Health and Human Resources Department, is responsible for oversite of UNOS/OPTN.
Over the past several months, HRSA has conducted dozens of interviews and focus groups to gather public input on the topic of UNOS modernization, in line with HR. 2544, Securing the U. S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act. This bill was signed into law in June, 2023; now HRSA has the responsibility to create plans to implement changes to the organ donation and transplant system in the US.
A number of TRIO members were among the public that participated in providing input to the HRSA information-gathering sessions.
FAA ASKED TO FIX ORGAN AIR TRANSPORTATION
House Representative Beth Van Duyne (R-TX 24) is sponsoring the Saving Organs One Flight at a Time Act (HR. 4362, https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/118/hr4362). This bill would restore putting solid organs back in the cockpits. After 9/11, organs were taken for transport to air cargo offices, where there were episodes of organs not being allowed to be taken even into cargo holds if they arrived at the cargo office too late. This bill would put the organs back in the cabin.
TRIO has signed onto a letter of support for this bill; we will keep you posted as it makes its way through the Congress.