Agreement Reached on Transplant Rules

Controversial new rules changing the way scarce human organs are allocated for transplants will take effect by January under an agreement reached by the Clinton administration and members of Congress who originally hoped to delay the changes. The rules will require that organs go to the sickest patients first, no matter where they live. The current system is based largely on geography and is supported by the United Network for Organ Sharing, which runs the transplant system. The network plans to go along with the new rules, then propose a new way to distribute donated livers by early next year.