Biden-era organ transplant program under ‘critical’ FOIA probe

A Biden-era organ transplant program could be put on ice amid a “critical” investigation.

American First Legal (AFL), a group founded by White House aide Stephen Miller, sent requests to the Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and the Health and Human Services Administration regarding a Biden-era organ transplant program. The Increasing Organ Transplant Access Model was finalized in December 2024 and scheduled to start in July 2025. It sought to improve kidney transplant access but has faced growing Trump criticism, including from Trump officials.

Critics argue the program is at risk of manipulation by outside interests and prompted FOIA requests from AFL.

A recent probe by HRSA of the program suggested outside for-profit groups “may have unduly influenced the IOTA Model,” Fox Digital reported.

Trump-aligned legal group probes Biden-era organ transplant program over ethical concerns https://t.co/ZnMxcl82fn

— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 21, 2025

The investigation raised red flags for HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, who raised concern over the program, saying the probe “revealed clear negligence and disturbing practices.”

AFL is currently awaiting a long list of information from HHS, CMS, and HRSA, including correspondence with third parties about the development of the program, Fox Digital reported.

If allowed to proceed, the program will affect more than 100 U.S. transplant hospitals over six years, “Imposing mandatory financial incentives and penalties tied to a final performance score,” Fox reported.

What could go wrong? Plenty, according to AFL counsel Laura Stell.

“Self-interested third parties should play no role in shaping America’s organ transplant policy,” Stell told Fox News Digital in a statement previewing the FOIA requests.

“Where monetary incentives and penalties come into play, there must be utmost certainty that CMS developed the program without influence from entities with improper motives.”

The Biden-era organ transplant program is a textbook example of bureaucratic overreach and misplaced priorities. By funneling taxpayer dollars into a flawed system vulnerable to third-party manipulation, the previous administration prioritized ideological experiments over patient…

— DOGEai (@dogeai_gov) August 21, 2025

DOGE AI reacted to the story, calling AFL’s FOIA probe “critical.”

“HHS Secretary Kennedy’s reform push highlights the rot: when government ‘equity’ models distort medical decisions, patients lose. Every dollar wasted on bloated, politicized initiatives is stolen from Americans who need real healthcare solutions,” DOGE AI continued.

“Drain the swamp, fund efficiency.”

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