Is Financial Assistance for Transplant Patients Available?

Is Financial Assistance for Transplant Patients Available?

Organ transplants can be an expensive surgical procedure. The reality is that for many transplant patients and candidates, it is not feasible to pay for the full cost of transplant surgery or the additional postoperative costs out of pocket. Fortunately, there are resources and transplant patient financial aid programs they can turn to that can help pay for their procedure or aftercare.

Transplantation Cost Factors

The costs associated with receiving a lifesaving transplant are unique to each patient and vary depending on many factors including type of transplant/care needed, location, hospital and insurance coverage.

How to Prepare Financially Before a Transplant

In preparation for an organ transplant, it’s important to work with your transplant center’s financial coordinator, your health insurance provider and, if applicable, your employee benefits team to develop a financial strategy and review the latest available resources and information.

While you should always talk to your insurance provider and financial coordinator about covering the cost of your transplant, we’ve put together a list of some additional resources that can help provide financial assistance to transplant candidates, recipients and their families.

Resources, Programs and Financial Assistance for Transplant Patients

Assistance for Adults

1. Air Care Alliance
   Air Care alliance provides a central listing of all known groups whose members perform free public benefit flights for patient transport and other public service missions.
2. American Transplant Foundation
   The American Transplant Foundation helps provide financial assistance to living donors by reimbursing them for lost wages after the surgery and providing access to lifesaving medications. Through its Patient Assistance Program and 1+1=LIFE Mentorship Program, ATF supports patients in 46 states with a specific focus on Colorado.
3. Help Hope Live Help Hope Live is an online platform helping families create individual pages to support community-based fundraising for loved ones with unmet medical related expenses.
4. Liver Health Connection
   An existing program operating in conjunction with transplant teams at Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center and University of Colorado Hospital (UCHealth), that provides financial assistance to patients undergoing liver transplantation.
5. National Foundation for Transplants (NFT) NFT offers hope and help to transplant patients and their families by providing fundraising expertise, advocacy, promoting organ and tissue donation, and supporting innovative solutions for lifesaving treatment.
6. National Kidney Foundation (NKF)
   NKF’s Patient Information Help Line, NKF Cares, offers support for people affected by kidney disease, organ donation or transplantation. A trained peer mentor speaks with patients, family members and care partners and can share their own experiences about dialysis, transplant or living kidney donation.
7. Rocky Mountain Children’s Health Foundation
   The Patient and Family Assistance Program provides direct financial support and resources to help cover critical non-medical expenses to families of patients that are pre and post-transplant.

Assistance for Children

1. COTA (Children’s Organ Transplant Association)
   COTA helps children and young adults who need a lifesaving transplant by providing fundraising assistance and family support. COTA doesn’t charge for its services and doesn’t take a percentage of funds raised.
2. Oracle Health Foundation
   Oracle Health Foundation is an organization that provides funding for children who need assistance with clinical necessities: surgery, medication, therapy, medical equipment and travel related care.

Get the full list of local transplant centers to inquire about additional resources.

Help Increase Awareness about the Gift of Life

If you are already a registered organ, eye and tissue donor, please take the time to share your decision with your family and encourage them to sign up to become donors at the time of death at DonateLifeColorado.org or DonateLifeWyoming.org.