Emory joins liver transplant lawsuit

ATLANTA (FOX 5 Atlanta) - Emory University Hospital is one of several hospitals suing to block a new nationwide liver transplant policy.

At issue, how patients are prioritized for liver transplants.

Where a patient lives affect whether they will get a timely transplant.

The change will redraw the map that governs how donated organs are distributed.

United Network, the nonprofit that devised the new system, says the policy creates a fairer system for patients, no matter where they live.

But the lawsuit states the policy doesn't account for differences in healthcare across different regions and will reduce the number of transplants in states like Georgia and Alabama, that have some of the higher-risk communities.