The Indiana Donor Network, a nonprofit in Indianapolis, sits on at least $81 million in assets and touts its mission as “saving lives and enhancing the quality of life through organ, tissue, and eye donation and transplantation.” But federal prosecutors have begun to question that pledge—concerned about its use of private jets for personal trips among the charity’s staff and donors.
Now, that group and two other nonprofits are under the microscope in a new investigation launched by Republicans in Congress—who say they may have overbilled the government for Medicare costs.
On Wednesday, Jason Smith—a Missouri Republican who leads the powerful House Ways and Means Committee—wrote to the Indiana Donor Network, the LifeShare Network, and the New Jersey Organ and Tissue Sharing Network to alert them of his concerns about their potential mishandling of federal dollars. In letters, Smith requested their financial records and other documents as part of a probe into their compliance with a program allowing the groups to be reimbursed through Medicare—the health insurance program for people age 65 or older.
“Recent reports of fraud, abuse, and corruption at several of these organizations are deserving of investigation in order to maintain public trust in our nation’s organ donations network and to ensure these entities are operating within their stated tax-exempt purpose,” Smith told The Free Press. He said the committee “will pursue any and all legislative means to ensure accountability and prevent waste, fraud, and abuse within our public healthcare system.”
