Which statement about UNOS is accurate?

• A. The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) has a contract with the federal government.
• B. UNOS operates independently of government and receives no federal contracts.
• C. UNOS only handles organ procurement in certain states.
• D. UNOS is an international organization with no U.S. government ties.

Answer: (A)

UNOS is part of a federally guided system for organ sharing. The national framework for organ donation and transplantation, called the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, was created by federal law and is funded and overseen by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. UNOS operates as a private nonprofit that runs the day-to-day work—maintaining the national waiting list, coordinating organ allocation policies, and collecting data—within that federally established structure. This means UNOS has formal government ties and a nationwide mandate; it is not independent of the government, it does not operate only in some states, and it is not an international organization.