The AAMC April 22 submitted comments to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regarding a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking on organ and bone marrow transplant care in the community care program.
The VA proposed expanding the options for veterans to seek transplant care in the community instead of in the VA. In its comments, the AAMC encouraged the VA to ensure that veterans continue to receive high quality care, regardless of whether this care occurs in a VA facility or in a non-VA facility. The AAMC also suggested ways to increase veterans’ access to transplants, including that veterans should be permitted to be listed on more than one Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network regional list, if indicated, in order to increase their chances of being matched with an organ. The AAMC also expressed support for the role of the patient’s physician specialist in making medically-appropriate decisions with a veteran regarding their care.