---
kind: "section"
citation: "38 U.S.C. § 1788"
title: "38"
title_heading: "Veterans’ Benefits"
number: "1788"
heading: "Transplant procedures with live donors and related services"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/38/1788"
units:
  - "Part II — General Benefits"
  - "Chapter 17 — Hospital, Nursing Home, Domiciliary, and Medical Care"
  - "Subchapter VIII — Health Care of Persons Other Than Veterans"
---

# §1788. Transplant procedures with live donors and related services

- (a) **In General.—** Subject to subsections [(b)](#b) and [(c)](#c), in a case in which a [veteran](/usc/38/1101.md?p=1) is eligible for a transplant procedure from the [Department](/usc/38/101.md?p=1), the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) may provide for an operation on a live donor to carry out such procedure for such [veteran](/usc/38/1101.md?p=1), notwithstanding that the live donor may not be eligible for health care from the [Department](/usc/38/101.md?p=1).
- (b) **Other Services.—** Subject to the availability of appropriations for such purpose, the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) shall furnish to a live donor any care or services before and after conducting the transplant procedure under [subsection (a)](#a) that may be required in connection with such procedure.
- (c) **Use of Non-Department Facilities.—** In carrying out this section, the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) may provide for the operation described in [subsection (a)](#a) on a live donor and furnish to the live donor the care and services described in [subsection (b)](#b) at a non-[Department](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) facility pursuant to an agreement entered into by the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) under this title. The live donor shall be deemed to be an individual eligible for [hospital care](/usc/38/1701.md?p=5) and [medical services](/usc/38/1701.md?p=6) at a non-[Department](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) facility pursuant to such an agreement solely for the purposes of receiving such operation, care, and services at the non-[Department](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) facility.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 115–182, title I, § 153(a), June 6, 2018, 132 Stat. 1437; amended Pub. L. 115–251, title II, § 211(a)(10), Sept. 29, 2018, 132 Stat. 3175.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2018—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 115–251 substituted “this title” for “this chapter”.