Financing your Transplant

The cost of a transplant and follow-up care varies across the country and by the organ type. Even before your transplant, these costs can add up quickly. Few patients are able to pay all of the costs of transplantation from a single source. Most likely, you will have to rely on several sources.

Costs before and after your transplant:

Medical Costs:

• Pre-transplant evaluation and testing
• The hospital stay and surgery
• Additional hospital stays for complications
• Follow-up care and testing
• Anti-rejection and other drugs, which can easily exceed $8500 per year
• Fees for surgeons, physicians, radiologist and anesthesiologist
• Fees for the recovery (procurement) of the organ from the donor
• Physical, occupational and vocational rehabilitation
• Insurance deductibles and co-payments

Non-medical Costs:

• Transportation to and from your transplant center, before and after your transplant Food, lodging, long distance phone calls for you and your family
• Child care
• Lost wages if your employer does not pay for the time you or a family member spends away from work
• If your transplant center is not near your home, you may need to live near the center before and for a while after your transplant. Some centers offer free or low cost lodging.
• You may need to make arrangements for air travel to get to your transplant hospital quickly. You should also make back-up plans to get to your transplant hospital in bad weather, especially in the winter

Common funding sources:

• insurance
• extending insurance coverage through COBRA
• Medicare and Medicaid
• CHAMPUS and TRICARE
• Veterans Administration (VA)
• fundraising campaigns
• prescription drugs assistance programs
• other sources of insurance

Care Following Transplantation
Programs that can help finance your care after transplantation:

• vocational rehabilitation
• social security coverage for the disabled
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• Federal Rehabilitation Act (FRA)

NOTE: This information is only a brief summary and is not intended to provide complete information. Ask your transplant financial team and your insurance provider or employee benefits officer for the latest information or help.