Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Emergency Recertification for Coverage for Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs)

This interim final rule with comment period recertifies the existing designated organ procurement organizations (OPOs) that meet, or have met, the standards for a qualified OPO within a 4 year period ending December 31, 2001 and have current agreements with the Secretary that are scheduled to terminate on July 31, 2002. Those agreements will be extended to July 31, 2006. The Organ Procurement Organization Certification Act of 2000 amended the Public Health Service Act to require CMS to increase the certification cycle for OPOs from 2 years to at least 4 years. We are issuing this interim final rule to establish a 4 year recertification cycle and to permit payments to continue to be made to all 59 OPOs after January 1, 2002.