PUBLIC LAW 109–129—DEC. 20, 2005
119 STAT. 2559
with qualified cord blood banks and organ donation public awareness campaigns operated through the Department of Health and Human Services, for purposes of recruiting pregnant women to serve as donors of cord blood. Such information and educational activities shall include the following: ‘‘(i) Making information available to the general public, including information describing the needs of patients with respect to cord blood units. ‘‘(ii) Educating and providing information to pregnant women who are willing to donate cord blood units. ‘‘(iii) Training individuals in requesting pregnant women to serve as cord blood donors. ‘‘(B) PRIORITIES.—In carrying out informational and educational activities under subparagraph (A), the Program shall give priority to supporting the recruitment of pregnant women to serve as donors of cord blood for populations that are identified under paragraph (1). ‘‘(3) TRANSPLANTATION AS TREATMENT OPTION.—In addition to activities regarding recruitment, the recruitment program under paragraph (1) shall provide information to physicians, other health care professionals, and the public regarding cord blood transplants from donors as a treatment option. ‘‘(4) IMPLEMENTATION OF SUBSECTION.—The requirements of this subsection shall be carried out by the entity that has been awarded a contract by the Secretary under subsection (a) to carry out the functions described in subsection (d)(2). ‘‘(h) PATIENT ADVOCACY AND CASE MANAGEMENT FOR BONE MARROW AND CORD BLOOD.— ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish and maintain, through a contract or other means determined appropriate by the Secretary, an office of patient advocacy (in this subsection referred to as the ‘Office’). ‘‘(2) GENERAL FUNCTIONS.—The Office shall meet the following requirements: ‘‘(A) The Office shall be headed by a director. ‘‘(B) The Office shall be staffed by individuals with expertise in bone marrow and cord blood therapy covered under the Program. ‘‘(C) The Office shall operate a system for patient advocacy, which shall be separate from mechanisms for donor advocacy, and which shall serve patients for whom the Program is conducting, or has been requested to conduct, a search for a bone marrow donor or cord blood unit. ‘‘(D) In the case of such a patient, the Office shall serve as an advocate for the patient by directly providing to the patient (or family members, physicians, or other individuals acting on behalf of the patient) individualized services with respect to efficiently utilizing the system under paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (d) to conduct an ongoing search for a bone marrow donor or cord blood unit and assist with information regarding third party payor matters. ‘‘(E) In carrying out subparagraph (D), the Office shall monitor the system under paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (d) to determine whether the search needs of the
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