Abstract

KIE: The authors, who are affiliated with the National Council on Alcoholism, reject policies that preclude consideration of liver transplantation based solely on a diagnosis of alcoholism. They urge public and private third party payers to cooperate with clinicians experienced in the field of alcoholism in the preparation of guidelines, based on careful research, that avoid arbitrary abstinence requirements and take into account the successes of treatment for alcoholism. The authors assert that a "dangerous precedent is set when decisions regarding either the indications for a procedure or criteria for funding of such becomes based on social rather than clearly documented, objectively established medical criteria corroborated by sound data."