A federal investigation, an oversight hearing by the House Energy and Commerce Committee and a July 2025 story in The New York Times have examined potential and actual instances of patient deaths being accelerated for the purpose of procuring their organs.

It sounds like something out of an Alfred Hitchcock movie or a tale by Edgar Allan Poe. But sadly, grisly stories of patient abuse related to organ transplants have proved all too real.

A federal investigation, an oversight hearing by the House Energy and Commerce Committee and a story in The New York Times have recently examined potential and actual instances of patient deaths being accelerated for the purpose of procuring − some would call it harvesting − their organs.

The stories speak to the problems inherent in giving control over organ donation to entrenched regional monopolies.

Federal officials at the Health Resources and Services Administration recently examined the conduct of Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates, one of more than 50 regional organ procurement organizations. According to The Wall Street Journal, a whistleblower reported to Congress last fall that the Kentucky OPO attempted to recover organs from a patient showing visible signs of life. In that case, the Health Resources agency found documentation showing that hospital staff thought treatment of the patient was “inhumane and unethical,” and even called it “euthanasia.”

Federal agency found that Kentucky transplant organization failed to protect patients

The federal review found the incident far from anomalous. The agency concluded that the Kentucky OPO had consistently failed to assess whether poor neurological function in potential organ donors might be the temporary effects of a drug overdose or chemical sedation, rather than permanent brain damage.

It also noted that “OPO staff proceeded with obtaining authorization (for organ donation) from two family members despite witnessing the next of kin take psychoactive medication immediately prior to the consent discussion.”

Yet, the problem runs deeper than a single organ procurement organization in Kentucky. The federal agency initiated its investigation after the OPOs’ regulator said that it found “no major concerns” with the actions of its Kentucky branch.

Medical workers express concerns about how transplants were handled

And The Times'investigation cited interviews with 55 medical workers in 19 states who said “they had witnessed at least one disturbing case of (organ) donation after circulatory death,” including a ghoulish example from Alabama where surgeons opened a patient’s chest to procure her organs, only to discover that her heart was still beating.

To defend against these ethical lapses, the OPOs might attempt to place the blame on recent changes in federal policies. Rulemaking by the first Trump administration in 2020 changed the metrics used to evaluate their performance, with a greater emphasis on the overall number of transplants each organization completes.

But most Americans would find it self-evident that such efforts need not, and should not, involve slicing up patients showing signs of life.

The OPOs, none of which have lost their certifications granting them monopoly control over transplants in their regions, apparently have other priorities. The federal report cites regional and other disparities to give the distinct impression that the Kentucky OPO is preying on lower-income victims of the opioid epidemic, along with their families, to increase their transplant statistics.

And the whistleblower who wrote to Congress about the Kentucky incident was fired from her job in the organ industry two days after her letter became public, as The Journal reported.

Thankfully, the regulatory changes enacted by the first Trump administration allow the federal government to decertify poorly performing OPOs, beginning 2026.

As a mother of a child with cystic fibrosis who one day may need an organ transplant, I can’t wait for action against ineffective OPOs. Patients shouldn’t lose their lives prematurely at the hands of incompetent or corrupt organ procurement organizations.

It's far better for the organ procurement organizations to lose their government-granted monopoly status instead.

Mary Vought, a disability advocate, is vice president of Strategic Communications at The Heritage Foundation and a former member of the National Council on Disability.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Organ transplant investigations expose grisly stories of patient abuse | Opinion

Reporting by Mary Vought / USA TODAY

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