CMS Guidance Reinforces Safeguards for Patient Protections in Organ Donation System
CMS issued a Quality, Safety, and Oversight memorandum and an update to the Organ Procurement Organization Interpretive Guidelines, State Operations Manual (“SOM”) Appendix Y that clarifies and reinforces the responsibilities of Organ Procurement Organizations (“OPOs”) and donor hospitals. The memorandum and SOM Appendix clarify, among other things, that OPOs and donor hospitals must provide complete, life-saving medical treatment without regard to potential organ donation; that families must have appropriate time to process loss before donation decisions begin; and death must be declared according to accepted medical standards before organ recovery begins.
Bipartisan Bill Introduced to Exempt Healthcare Workers from H-1B Visa Fee
Lawmakers introduced a bill to exempt H-1B health care workers from the $100,000 H-1B visa fee issued under the presidential proclamation “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers.” The bill, titled “H-1B for Physicians and the Healthcare Workforce Act,” seeks to exempt physicians and other health care workers from having to pay a $100,000 fee for H-1B visas.