Patients Sue UNOS, Hospitals Over Race-Based Calculation for Transplant Eligibility

Reuters reported that at least 10 lawsuits have been filed against United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the nonprofit organization that administers the US organ transplant network. The lawsuits allege that the eGFR calculation previously used to determine transplant eligibility unfairly delayed or disqualified Black candidates from receiving transplants.

The calculation, which was replaced in 2022, included an adjustment for Black patients due to the false assumption that Black individuals have more muscle than other racial groups, the lawsuits claim. This resulted in Black patients with kidney failure waiting for longer and growing sicker than other patients before they could receive a transplant or be added to the waiting list.

The lawsuits name UNOS and transplant programs at major hospital systems. Nine of the 10 lawsuits were filed this year, and two are class actions. The litigants seek unspecified damages for suffering and economic losses as well as punitive damages against UNOS and the hospitals.