OPTN: Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network

OPTN: Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network: "Under federal law, all U.S. transplant centers and organ procurement organizations must be members of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) to receive any funds through Medicare."

As a practical matter, then, it is tough to get paid outside of the OPTN, since most transplants are paid for by Medicare.

But what if another funding source is available, and Medicare is unnecessary? Federal law does not seem to foreclose operating outside of the OPTN in that case.