Organ Donation and Transplants - Consumer Health Ratings

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Organ Donation and Transplants

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Donate Life America – How to become an organ donor

Here’s how to become an organ donor. Donate Life America is a not-for-profit alliance of National organizations and local coalitions across the United States that aims to increase the number of donated organs, eyes and tissue available to save and to develop a culture where donation is embraced as a fundamental human responsibility. Register to become a donor at this site.

Glossary – Organ Donation and Transplants

Glossary of terms used in organ donation and transplants. Definitions are from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). It explains terms such as Acute or Chronic Rejection, Allocation Policies, Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR), Graft Survival, histocompatibility and more.

How Many Organ Transplants in US in 2021 and 2022? Editor's Pick

How many organ transplants were done in the US? The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) says 41,356 were done in 2021, up nearly 6% from 2020. Almost 25,000 were kidney transplants in 2021. Year-to-date through July 2022, more than 24,000 organ transplants have been done. OPTN’s website shows detailed statistics on organ transplants, including states and regions. As of Sept. 7, 2022, there were over 116,000 waiting list candidates (over 97,000 for kidneys). Recent 2021 and year to date 2022 transplant volumes are shown. Median waiting time for some types of transplants can be found at this website. It looks like about 2-3 years is the median wait for a kidney; close to 20% of those wait-listed were getting a kidney within 6 months.

How much does an organ transplant cost? (2020)

How much does an organ transplant cost in the US? Get ready to see some large numbers for the average charges of an organ transplant in 2020 dollars. The most common transplant – cornea – averages $32,500 in estimated billed charges. Kidney transplant estimated at $442,500 for the entire process, including surgeon fees and drugs. Costs are calculated from 30 days pre-transplant, to 6 months post-transplant discharge. Summary table of cost breakdown is shown. The detailed report shows autologous bone marrow transplant at $471,600, bone marrow-allogenic at $1,071,700 (up 20% since 2017), liver transplant at $878,400, and heart transplant at $1,664,800. Multiple organ transplants easily top an estimated $1 million, or $2.6M for heart-lung or kidney-heart.) By Transplant Living, a project of the nonprofit United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), organization that maintains the national Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) under contract with HRSA. Report by Milliman was published January 2020.

Organ and Tissue Donation/Transplantation

Official US government website for organ and tissue donation (organdonor.gov), including recent news about organ transplantation. See the National Survey of Organ Donation Attitudes and Practices, completed in 2019 and published February 2020. Survey asked about donating one’s hands or face. Many additional resources on transplants are linked here. Updated 2021.

Organ Donation (MedlinePlus)

Find reliable ad-free information on organ donation from MedlinePlus. General information about organ transplants and organ procurement, including cornea transplants and living donation; kidney transplant video; how to become a donor; information for older donors and recipients.

Organ Transplants – Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network

Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) is a secure transplant information database that has all national data on the candidate waiting list, organ donation and matching, and transplantation. Transplant survival rates on a regional basis (1-year, 3-year, 5-year) are compared to national; kidney, pancreas, liver, heart, lung, intestine. Blood type, age, sex and many other comparisons are available. Volume of transplants by transplant center updated year-to-date 2022.

Trends in Organ Transplants 2023

One-page summary on number of organ transplants and grafts done in the US year-to-date 2023. Trends from 1988 to present, updated monthly. Altogether, 42,888 transplants were done in the US in 2022, the highest number ever. Transplants were up 3.7% from the prior year. Latest report shows 25,499 kidney transplants were done in 2022, up 3.4% from 2021. Next most common was liver transplants (9,528 in 2022, up 3.2% from 2021.) Survival rates can also be found at this site by OPTN, the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, 2023.

Other Helpful Listings

Blue Distinction Centers: Cardiac, Cancer, Hip, Knee, Fertility, Maternity, Back, Spine, Bariatric Surgery, Organ Transplants, Gene Therapy, Substance Abuse

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies have designated national Blue Distinction Centers meeting their standards and selection criteria for bariatric weight loss surgery, cancer care, cardiac (heart) care, fertility care, organ transplants (e.g. adult and pediatric bone marrow/stem cell, heart, kidney, liver); lung(adult only) transplants, total knee and hip replacement, maternity care, back spine surgery, Substance Use Treatment and Recovery (new in 2020), cellular immunotherapy, and gene therapy for ocular disorders (inherited blindness). Quality criteria can be found from the home page. In addition to Blue Distinction Centers, the Blue Distinction+ (Plus) designates high quality centers considered to have “more affordable care”. (No further information is available on prices.) Interactive database; updated 2022.

California: CalHospitalCompare.org – Hospital Quality Ratings & Patient Satisfaction

CalHospitalCompare shows California hospital quality ratings for cancer surgery, heart care, hip and knee, gallbladder infections, surgery volume, pneumonia, COPD, stroke, preventing surgical infections & complications, maternity care including c-sections and VBAC, emergency department and patient opinion ratings, readmissions; some mortality/survival rates. Dates of data are hard to find (click on the red question marks when at the hospital report). When reported, most contain 2020-2021 data. Number of cancer cases is labeled as both 2014 and 2020, which is confusing. Compare hospitals side by side to find Superior Hospitals. Hospitals may be the best in one area but not in another. When viewing hospital report, click on View All, or you’ll miss most of the information. Cal Hospital Compare is supported by IBM Watson Health.

Diabetic Kidney Problems and Dialysis (MedlinePlus)

Information on diabetic kidney problems and dialysis from MedlinePlus (ad-free). Kidney damage from diabetes, called diabetic nephropathy, begins before you show symptoms. Diabetes is listed as the most common cause of kidney failure in the US – for which people require kidney dialysis or a kidney transplant. Learn about the connection between diabetes and ending up on renal dialysis

Florida Inpatient Hospital Ratings, Satisfaction, Average Price

Compare Florida inpatient hospital ratings on infections, patient satisfaction, average price (cost estimate), and readmissions. In the Quality Report Card column, find volume (number of hospitalizations) or how many procedures they do each year in various specialty service line, average length of stay, and readmission rate. 2020 and 2021 data. State inspection reports are also shown on each hospital’s individual page. Click on Care Bundle Pricing $ icon to find hospital and an old report on average statewide charge. Prices are old, and estimated to 2018 or 2019 only. All age groups (not just Medicare), extensive set of health conditions/diseases, and the ability to sort with best FL hospitals at the top of the list, make this website helpful. While the Quality and Satisfaction scores are current, the cost information is not. Click on the hospital name to additional information about the hospital. Hysterectomy listed under Women’s Health instead of Surgery. FloridaHealthFinder.gov, updated 2022.

Hospital Ratings at HealthGrades (all states) 2023

HealthGrades Hospital Ratings (5-star, 3-star, 1-star) for 2023 on over 30 diseases & inpatient procedures: Stroke, back surgery, COPD, diabetes, gall bladder surgery, bowel obstruction, GI Bleed, hip fracture repair, hip replacement, total knee replacement, prostate removal, TURP, hysterectomy (listed under gynecologic surgeries), respiratory failure, pneumonia, cardiac bypass, heart attack, heart failure, angioplasty, defibrillator, pacemaker, valve surgery, sepsis, pancreatitis, pulmonary embolism, abdominal aneurysm, stomach surgery, peripheral vascular bypass & more. Probably Medicare-only data for most conditions, although some states provide maternity, appendectomy, and bariatric surgery (gastric bypass) data. More extensive list than the federal government’s site. Publicly-traded company. Most data in 2023 ratings are from Medicare patients, from 2018 to 2020. Patient satisfaction ratings (2020-2021 data) are featured by HealthGrades. One hospital at time, unfortunately. No longer Editor’s Pick, since HealthGrades removed the 3-year patient volume, and actual mortality or complication rates compared to predicted. Mostly, the site shows which ratings awards were given to the hospital by HealthGrades – a fee likely was required for publicizing the award.

Iowa Hospital Inpatient Charges Compare 2021 prices

Iowa Hospital Charges Compare provides information about volumes and average 2021 charges (amount billed) and median price at IA hospitals. This site is for consumers who want to find the average cost of surgery or other inpatient services. Select one hospital to begin. See price, length of stay, number of cases and more. Must select city first, then body system before finding the procedure. Provided by the Iowa Hospital Association, this is a starting point for comparing average cost of care between Iowa hospitals. Compare typical prices for surgery such as gall bladder removal, bowel surgery, knee joint replacement (only general knee surgery is shown for 2021, average cost of about $70,000); childbirth (listed under women’s health) and newborns, pneumonia, stroke, heart care, transplants, COPD, rehab, and many medical conditions. Severity of illness is shown. Limited focus to one service and category at a time. Average cost (and median charges) across the state are also shown for each procedure. Average charge for delivering a baby (vaginal, uncomplicated) was $11,618 in Iowa in 2021; moderate severity averaged $13,224. Average newborn (normal weight, uncomplicated) charge was $4,485. Physician and surgeon’s charges are not included in the prices. Updated 2022.

Nebraska Hospital PricePoint System (Inpatient Charges)

Find average price and typical charges for most types of inpatient hospital stays in Nebraska for 2019. Compare average hospital prices in the PricePoint system. Example of hospitalizations: maternity prices, angioplasty, heart surgery, some cancer services, hip & knee surgery, bowel surgery, kidney and other transplants, pneumonia, stroke, some mental health psych services, UTI, gall bladder surgery (inpatient only). If you can’t find it, check the comprehensive list (e.g. MDC 19 for mental health). Vaginal delivery (mom only) cost $9,725 on average; normal newborn was $3,575. Includes volume, average length of stay in the hospital, and median age of patient. Does not include physician costs. Shows one hospital/ one disease or condition at a time along with the state median charge. Or compare hospitals (statewide numbers are not shown in this view); 2019 data. All cities including Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island, Creighton, Norfolk, Kearney. NHA Care Compare is sponsored by the Nebraska Hospital Association. No updates as of April 2022.

South Dakota Hospital Prices – by name of hospital, 2021 costs

Find South Dakota hospital prices (2021 costs), by name of hospital. SD PricePoint shows average inpatient charges and typical (median) prices for 2021 at South Dakota hospitals. View one hospital at a time, or compare to hospitals for the same type of hospitalization. Select additional cities to add comparisons. Average hospital prices across the state are also listed. As an example, the average 2021 price for a vaginal delivery with no other procedures was $11,316 in SD hospitals; average healthy newborn stay was $4,638. Costs exclude doctor fees. All common hospitalizations shown, such as births and maternity delivery, knee replacement (average price about $44,512 minor severity), heart failure, pneumonia, bowel procedures, COPD, angioplasty, inpatient laparoscopic gallbladder removal (average price $52,222 for moderate severity) and much more. Site shows number of cases and length of stay also. Site by SDAHO (South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations, the state’s hospital association. Formerly affiliated with PricePoint. Updated in 2022.

Transplant Waiting List Editor's Pick

Waiting list numbers of people waiting for a transplant: Kidney, pancreas, liver, intestine, heart, lung transplants. In May 2022, about 90,000 people were waiting for a kidney (18,000 in California alone) and 11,000 for a liver. Survival rates shown by age, sex and ethnicity.

usnews.com Best Hospitals 2022-2023: Pulmonology (Respiratory) and Lung Surgery

Top 50 hospitals in 2022-2023 for respiratory problems. Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN) and National Jewish Health, Denver-University of Colorado Hospital lead the list. Hospitals were required to treat at least 1,325 Medicare patients in Pulmonology and Lung Transplant over a 3-year period 2018 to 2020, in order to be ranked. Includes Lung transplant, used Medicare data (including survival) expert opinion reputation, nurse and ICU staffing, and other factors. For reference: small hospitals routinely treat pneumonia and COPD patients, and a tertiary medical center may not be necessary for effective treatment. This list by US News & World Report gives strong weight to survival, services available, reputation and other factors.

Wisconsin Hospitals PricePoint (Average Inpatient Prices)

Wisconsin PricePoint tool shows average hospital price, median charge and length of stay for common inpatient services. Full year 2021 prices are shown. Hospitalizations include maternity and newborn births, hip or knee replacement surgery, gallbladder removal, heart surgery, angioplasty, arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), valves, cardiac cath, pacemaker, pneumonia, bipolar and other mental health, stroke, back care, asthma, COPD, rehab; kidney, heart, lung or other transplant; hysterectomy, prostate surgery, bowel surgery & more. Dates are not shown on the consumer version of the PricePoint tool. (See dates by going through the professional tool, from the Home page.) Also shows inpatient volumes if you click on more detail. Median price for a uncomplicated vaginal delivery in 2021, with normal newborn care was just over $16,000 total (about $12,000 for mom and $4,000 for baby). From WHA Information Center, part of the Wisconsin Hospital Association WHA Information Center. Updated Apr. 2022.

Surgeon and other physician fees NOT included. Wisc. Hospital Assn. created the PricePoint System now used in other states. This version of Pricepoint has been modified to be payer-specific, so consumers can get a better idea of average cost. Gross charges (sticker price) should be the same for all patients who have identical care. Must watch a video before proceeding to see the prices; you may also need specific medical information about the procedure in order to select the price you are interested in.

Health Conditions, Glossary and Specialty Reports