LOVE Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 7581
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Health
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-02-13: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Last Updated
- 2026-05-27T08:05:47Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The Living Organ Volunteer Engagement Act (LOVE Act), H.R. 7581, aims to increase living kidney donations for Medicare beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease (ESRD, a severe kidney failure requiring dialysis or transplant) by funding hospital-based training programs. It establishes a temporary demonstration program under Medicare to cover the costs of training facilitators who help patients find living donors and guide them through the donation process.
Key Provisions
- Demonstration Program Setup: The Secretary of Health and Human Services (through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS) must start an 8-year program within 180 days of the bill's enactment. Participating hospitals receive payments equal to their reasonable costs for running the training program each year.
- Eligibility: Only hospitals that perform kidney transplants can participate.
- Training Program Details: Hospitals train individuals (called facilitators) to:
- Help Medicare patients with ESRD identify potential living kidney donors.
- Assist Medicare beneficiaries (including those qualifying due to ESRD) in navigating the kidney donation process, from matching to post-donation steps.
- Implementation Flexibility: CMS can waive certain Medicare rules as needed to carry out the program.
- Reporting Requirements:
- An initial report to Congress after 6 years, covering the first 5 years of the program, including:
- Increases in living kidney donors and transplants compared to the prior 5 years.
- Health outcomes for transplant recipients.
- Medicare cost savings from more transplants and less dialysis use.
- Qualitative insights from interviews with facilitators, volunteers, donors, and recipients.
- Annual follow-up reports for the next 2 years with updates on these metrics.
- Reports go to key congressional committees: House Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce; Senate Finance.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This bill amends Section 1881 of the Social Security Act (which covers Medicare payments for ESRD services like dialysis and transplants) by adding a new subsection for this demonstration program. It introduces a novel payment mechanism specifically for training facilitators, which does not currently exist under Medicare. No changes are made to standard ESRD payment rates or transplant coverage, but it allows temporary waivers to test the program's effectiveness.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: CMS will administer the program, including cost determinations, waivers, and reporting, potentially straining administrative resources initially. Long-term, it could reduce Medicare spending by shifting patients from expensive dialysis to one-time transplants (dialysis costs Medicare billions annually).
- Citizens: Medicare patients with ESRD may face shorter wait times for living donor transplants, improving quality of life and health outcomes. Living donors and their families could benefit from better support during the process, though the program focuses on patient navigation.
- International Relations: No direct impacts, as the bill is limited to U.S. Medicare policy and domestic organ donation.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Medicare Beneficiaries with ESRD: Primary beneficiaries who may gain easier access to living donor kidneys.
- Hospitals Performing Kidney Transplants: Eligible to receive payments and operate training programs, potentially increasing their transplant volumes.
- Trained Facilitators and Volunteers: Individuals (often community members) who receive training to assist in donor matching and navigation.
- Living Kidney Donors and Transplant Recipients: Indirectly affected through improved coordination, leading to more successful donations.
- CMS and Congress: Responsible for oversight, payments, and evaluation.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: The program relies on CMS's existing authority to run demonstration projects and issue waivers, ensuring compliance with Medicare rules without needing broader reforms. It emphasizes data-driven evaluation to assess effectiveness before any permanent changes.
- Constitutional: No apparent issues, as it involves federal spending on health programs under Congress's spending power.
- Political: Bipartisan introduction (by Reps. Malliotakis and Gottheimer) highlights cross-party support for addressing the organ shortage crisis. Success could influence future expansions of Medicare-covered preventive or supportive services in transplantation, but the 8-year limit keeps it experimental and low-risk politically.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Malliotakis, Nicole [R-NY-11]
Cosponsors (3)
Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5], Rep. Hoyle, Val T. [D-OR-4], Rep. McBride, Sarah [D-DE-At Large]
Recent Actions
- 2026-02-13: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2026-02-13: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2026-02-13: Introduced in House
- 2026-02-13: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Living Organ Volunteer Engagement Act — issued 2026-02-13 — PDF (5 pages)