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1994.07.01 : Reduction of Paperwork Burden on Hospitals

Contact:  Anne Verano, HCFA   (202) 690-6145
          Patricia Campbell, HRSA    (301) 443-3376
Friday, July 1, 1994


     HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala announced today a reduction of
the paperwork burden on hospitals for reporting on kidney
transplants beginning July 1 when these reports will be submitted to
only one organization, the United Network for Organ Sharing.

     UNOS coordinates organ procurement and transplantation
throughout the country, and is a non-profit organization under
contract with the Health Resources and Services Administration, a
Public Health Service agency. UNOS operates the National Organ
Procurement and Transplantation Network and the U.S. Scientific
Registry of Transplant Recipients.

     In the past, hospitals were required to report kidney
transplantation information to both UNOS and the Health Care
Financing Administration.  HCFA is the HHS agency that helps pay for
dialysis services and kidney transplants for persons with end-stage
renal disease through the Medicare program.

     Although UNOS will become the sole collector of the data, it
will routinely provide HCFA with all of the medical information HCFA
had received directly from the hospitals.

     "There is no sound reason why hospitals must file separate
reports with similar data to two different agencies," said Secretary
Shalala.  "The Clinton administration is seeking every opportunity 
to reduce costly and unnecessary requirements that burden health
care providers."

     Hospitals are required to report not only on kidney transplant
surgeries, but must also provide continuing information on the
status of recipients and their transplanted organs.

     HCFA Administrator Bruce C. Vladeck, Ph.D., said, "This
patient-specific information system is critically important for the
administration of the Medicare program for treatment of end-stage
renal disease.

     "The new reporting system not only relieves hospitals of a
paperwork burden, but will provide our Medicare ESRD program with
better information and improvements in data validation," he said.

     HRSA Administrator Ciro V. Sumaya, M.D., M.P.H.T.M., said,
"This centralization of information enhances its value as the
foundation for transplant policy decisions."

     The new data-collection system was developed through a
cooperative effort involving HCFA, HRSA, UNOS and End Stage Renal
Disease Networks.