Can I get a kidney transplant financial assistance? Having a kidney disease often causes financial disaster, simply because it is one of the diseases with high-cost treatment. The chronic disease often forces the patient to resign from the job, making everything that much harder. It is often that even with health insurance, the financial burden of the treatment can be quite daunting. This is especially hard when the patient is uninsured. Many of these people automatically think that there’s no way out.
The average cost of a kidney transplant in the first year is typically more than $250,000; according to the United Network for Organ Sharing. Meanwhile, the monthly cost of immunosuppressives drugs such as Cellcept, Prograf, Myfortic, and Prednisone is more than $3,000.
Kidney Transplant Financial Assistance
However, there is still some hope. You may have heard about the American Kidney Fund (AKF) from your friends or perhaps your medical technicians. This is a national non-profit organization that has helped countless people ever since it was founded back in 1971. The mission is simple: helping patients in need with direct financial aid and providing health education for the community and doing kidney disease prevention assistance.
It is important to note that this organization does not accept direct applications from the patient. Instead, a social worker from your dialysis center should apply in your stead. He or she will then verify your financial aspects. This way, the organization ensures that its help really reaches those who are in desperate need of help.
Below are some of the American Kidney Fund’s programs that support the kidney transplant process:
Pediatric Summer Enrichment provides emergency financial aid that should be used for paying the camp cost for the children who had their kidneys replaced and those who are on dialysis. By doing so, these children can still enjoy the camps and yet still be safe because there are facilities and personnel nearby.
AKF Safety Net Program is a program that helps patients who are in desperate need of financial grants for their dialysis or kidney transplant. The borderline is that the patient should have no more than $1,000 in their savings, stocks, and bonds. The amount of the grant is up to $175 and it is available every six months, but it should be able to cover some aspects of the cost that are related to transportation, nutritional products, and emergency aid.
Meanwhile, there are several other assistance coming from other organizations, including the Partnership for Prescription Assistance. This organization assists those who are eligible by covering some portion of the prescription cost (which reaches more than $3,000 per month as we’ve mentioned above). Eligibility is basically determined by your financial condition. Please call 1-888-477-2669 for more info.
Families of active duty, the retired or deceased person in the armed forces can try contacting TRICARE. It’s a health benefit, and it may be able to help you with some part of the transplant cost. However, you still have to get authorized by the TRICARE medical director. Usually, this program is available for those with end-stage organ disease.
Other sources of kidney transplant financial assistance may be available from the American Organ Transplant Association, National Transplant Assistance Fund, and National Foundation for Transplants, Inc.
References:
- Help for Life – https://helphopelive.org/
- National Foundation for Transplants – http://www.transplants.org/
- Image: acibademinternational.com
