PATIENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
PATIENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
We help living donors to cover essential living expenses (i.e rent/mortgage) due to lost wages during recovery after surgery so they can heal without facing financial troubles.
For transplant recipients, we help patients to keep the organ that keeps them alive by providing assistance to cover delinquent insurance premiums to prevent loss of insurance coverage, medication co-payments during insurance gap periods, and/or changes to insurance provider. As of April 24th, 2020, we are offering Emergency Grants – please read the guidelines below.
To date, we've provided over $1,168,000 to the most financially vulnerable living donors and transplant recipients nationwide, and worked with over 80 transplant centers. You can hear directly from some of the patients we have helped through this program here.
Not eligible for this program? Check out our Financial Resource Guide for more.
We help living organ donors to cover essential living expenses (i.e. rent/mortgage) due to lost wages during recovery after surgery so they can heal without facing financial troubles.
For transplant recipients, we help patients with financial support to maintain the organ that keeps them alive! We provide assistance to cover delinquent insurance premiums, overdue medication co-payments, and essential living expenses.
To date, we've provided over $1,168,000 to the most financially vulnerable living donors and transplant recipients nationwide and worked with over 80 transplant centers. You can hear directly from some of the patients we have helped through this program here.
Not eligible for this program? Check out our Financial Resource Guide for more.
Program Overview
Our program is designed to provide financial assistance for the most vulnerable transplant patients with significant financial hardship. Due to an increasing volume of applications and our continued goal of providing meaningful assistance to transplant recipients and living donors, we have updated our guidelines and grant amounts as of April 2023. Also, since these grants are intended to bridge the gap in need, applicants with a long-term plan for financial stability will be given priority. Applications will only be considered for individuals and families making up to 150% of current federal poverty guidelines.
This program provides support to solid organ transplant recipients to ensure they have access to the care that keeps them alive, and to living organ donors so they won’t be in a financial trouble after giving the Gift of Life.
This is the only program of its kind nationwide that provides direct financial assistance grants to solid organ transplant recipients and living organ donors, regardless of their legal status. All financial decisions are made by our volunteer voting committee, the Transplant Leadership Council (TLC)
We do not receive any government funding and rely on generous individuals to provide lifesaving donations that benefit patients in need.
We offer three different types of one-time grants, please click the grant to bring you to the specific guidelines.
- Transplant Recipient Grant: Support for medication co-payments and delinquent insurance premiums for transplant recipients. Submitted post-transplant.
- Transplant Recipient Emergency Assistance Grant: Support for essential living expenses that contribute to a successful transplant recovery. Submitted post-transplant.
- Living Donor Grant: Support for living donors who will experience extreme financial need as a result of loss of wages during the time needed to recover after surgery. Submitted pre-transplant.
GENERAL information
- Each application must be completed by the transplant center's Social Worker or Coordinator in order to be considered.
- Please refer to the Grant Applications and the FAQs sections for more details on the specific application processes.
- Patients seeking assistance should contact their assigned transplant program social worker or coordinator for submission.
- Before an application may be funded, the transplant center’s Administrator needs to complete a brief orientation with the American Transplant Foundation.
- This only needs to be done ONE time per organization.
- Please reach out to support@americantransplantfoundation.org to confirm that this has already been done and/or to schedule the brief 10-minute orientation.
- You may submit an application before this is completed, but it must be completed prior to funds being dispersed.
- Due to a high volume of applications, please expect 3-6 weeks for application processing. Unfortunately, we cannot consider incomplete applications and cannot follow up with each applicant. Status updates are sent automatically to the applicant (social worker or coordinator) via email.
- If you have any questions or if you are having trouble with the application, please see our FAQ section or contact us at support@americantransplantfoundation.org.
patient Assistance program grant applications
Transplant Recipient Grant
The Transplant Recipient Grant is intended for patients who are experiencing a financial crisis that poses a direct barrier to their post-transplant care due to difficulties with insurance coverage and/or medication payments.
This one-time grant is available for up to $500. Grant amount is determined on a case-by-case basis and the funding we have available for the program.
Important Deadlines:
- Applications for transplant recipients must be submitted post-surgery.
- Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis; funding depends on the availability of funds.
Who do we fund?
- Transplant Recipients who have received any solid organ transplant.
- Patient must not have received a prior grant from the American Transplant Foundation.
- Patients must reside in the United States; legal status is not questioned.
- Eligible candidates include those with delinquent insurance premiums to prevent loss of insurance coverage, those needing help with medication co-payments during insurance gap periods and/or changes in insurance provider.
- Patients who are living under 150% of the federal poverty guidelines.
- This is a one-time, temporary assistance grant to bridge the gap. This grant is NOT appropriate for individuals needing long-term, ongoing assistance.
- Please contact your social worker regarding extended funding from other resources (i.e supplemental insurance, drug manufacturer programs, local/state programs) or check out our Financial Resource Guide.
Transplant Social Worker's responsibility:
- Please include as much detail as possible about the patient's financial and health situation. We are driven by our desire to help patients and their families, and we need your help to have an accurate picture of the situation the patient is dealing with.
- RECOMMENDED: Please encourage your patients to share their story via a letter and/or photo. You can attach this as a part of the application or patients can simply email it to support@americantransplantfoundation.org.
- Application updates are sent via email directly to the social worker or coordinator. Please ensure your email address is correct and support@americantransplantfoundation.org is on your safe sender list.
After application is submitted:
- Applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Eligibility for financial assistance is based on the sole discretion of the American Transplant Foundation and is subject to the availability of funds. All funding decisions are final, and applications may be approved for a different amount than requested at the discretion of the voting committee.
- Due to high volume, please allow 3-6 weeks for processing and TLC Committee Review.
- If the application fits our above guidelines and is approved by the committee, you will receive a response via email.
- All disbursements are made directly to the patient -- it is critical to have the correct patient's address.
PDF application outlines:
- These guides are printable to help you collaborate with the patient. These will NOT be accepted for submission, please use the web portal linked below.
- PAP Emergency Assistance application guide for Transplant Recipients
- PAP Emergency Assistance application guide for Transplant Recipients (Spanish)
Please contact support@americantransplantfoundation.org if you have questions while completing this application.
Transplant Recipient Emergency Assistance Grant
The Yi-Fa and Margaret Chang Giving Fund was established in April 2020 to provide lifesaving financial assistance to transplant recipients who are experiencing significant financial hardship affecting their access to post-transplant care. This grant provides emergency assistance to cover the essential living expenses (hotels, groceries, utility bills, etc.) that pose a direct financial barrier to the patient’s post-transplant care.
This grant is available for up to $500.
Important Deadlines:
- Applications for transplant recipients must be submitted post-surgery.
- Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis; funding depends on the availability of funds.
Who do we fund?
- Transplant Recipients who have received any solid organ transplant.
- Patient must not have received a prior grant from the American Transplant Foundation.
- Patients must reside in the United States; legal status is not questioned.
- Eligible candidates include those undergoing post-transplant care who are experiencing financial difficulty with essential living expenses (i.e. rent/mortgage, groceries, transportation to appointments).
- Patients who are living under 150% of the federal poverty limit.
- This is a one-time, temporary assistance grant to bridge the gap. This grant is NOT appropriate for individuals needing long-term, ongoing assistance.
- Please contact your social worker regarding extended funding from other resources (i.e. supplemental insurance, drug manufacturer programs, local/state programs) or check out our Financial Resource Guide.
Transplant Social Worker's responsibility:
- Please include as much detail as possible about the patient's financial and health situation. We are driven by our desire to help patients and their families, and we need your help to have an accurate picture of the situation the patient is dealing with.
- RECOMMENDED: Please encourage your patients to share their story via a letter and/or photo. You can attach this as a part of the application or patients can simply email it to support@americantransplantfoundation.org.
- Application updates are sent via email directly to the social worker/coordinator. Please ensure your email address is correct and support@americantransplantfoundation.org is on your safe sender list.
After application is submitted:
- Applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Eligibility for financial assistance is based on the sole discretion of the American Transplant Foundation and is subject to the availability of funds. All funding decisions are final, and applications may be approved for a different amount than requested at the discretion of the voting committee.
- Due to high volume, please allow 3-6 weeks for processing and TLC Committee Review.
- If the application fits our above guidelines and is approved by the committee, you will receive a response via email.
- All disbursements are made directly to the patient -- it is critical to have correct patient's address.
PDF Application Outlines:
- These guides are printable to help you collaborate with the patient. These will NOT be accepted for submission, please use the web portal linked below.
- PAP Emergency Assistance application guide for Transplant Recipients
- PAP Emergency Assistance application guide for Transplant Recipients (Spanish)
If you have any questions, please email support@americantransplantfoundation.org for assistance.
Please contact support@americantransplantfoundation.org if you have questions while completing this application.
Living Donor Grant
Donating an organ is a significant choice and our goal is to help alleviate some of the financial burdens for those who choose to give the Gift of Life!
The Living Donor Grant is intended to help patients who are employed and will experience a loss of wages during recovery from their donation surgery that leads to financial difficulty in paying for their essential living expenses such as rent, electric, automobile, and phone bills.
This grant is available for up to $500.
Important Deadlines:
- Applications for living donors must be submitted at least 2-3 weeks before the scheduled surgery date.
- If you do not have an exact surgery date, please use an approximate surgery date and make note on the application.
- Applications for Living Donors after the surgery will only be considered if the patient has significant complications within 30 days after the surgery and is required to take more time off than originally planned.
Who do we fund?
- Living Organ Donors who are donating solid organs.
- Typically, the individuals and families we help are making up to 150% of current federal poverty guidelines.
- Patient must not have received a prior grant from the American Transplant Foundation.
- Patients must reside in the United States; legal status is not questioned.
- This is a one-time, temporary assistance grant to bridge the gap. This grant is NOT appropriate for individuals needing long-term, ongoing assistance.
- Please contact your social worker regarding extended funding from other resources (i.e supplemental insurance, drug manufacturer programs, local/state programs) or check out our Financial Resource Guide.
What do we fund?
- We compensate for the wages lost during the recovery period for living organ donors.
- Patients must be employed and experience a loss of income while recovering from surgery.
- Financial assistance covers loss of wages during the hospital stay and/or recovery due to organ donation; these wages would normally go towards essential living expenses such as rent, electric, automobile, and phone bills.
- Priority is given to living donors who:
- Lack paid time off to cover lost wages and/or disability benefits/access to employee assistance programs
- Have multiple dependents
- Have no social support/no opportunity to do fundraising through nonprofit organizations to cover expenses associated with donation
- Have a recipient who is unable to help with any direct expenses related to donation
- Have a physically demanding job that will require a longer post-surgery recovery
- Are non-directed living donors
- Both recipient and donor are members of the same household, both are employed and will be affected by lost wages
Transplant Social Worker's Responsibility:
- Please send confirmation of surgery to the Foundation via email the day of the surgery. We will then release funds within 2-3 business days of notification. Funds are sent via check directly to the patient.
- To be considered, applications need to include the following paperwork:
- Letter from Employer: All applicants must provide a letter from their current employer. Due to liability regulations, this letter is a required portion of the Patient Assistance Program application.
- Please provide your patient with this PDF that include employer letter guidelines and an example letter.
- Patient's most recent pay stub (Optional): This will help us to expedite the application. We reserve the right to request this, as well as the previous year's tax records, if needed, for income verification.
- Minimum of one vendor (i.e. rental agency) will need to be included in the application. We ask for vendor name, phone, total amount owed, and amount to be covered with this grant.
- Application updates are sent via email directly to the social worker or coordinator. Please ensure your email address is correct and support@americantransplantfoundation.org is on your safe sender list.
- Letter from Employer: All applicants must provide a letter from their current employer. Due to liability regulations, this letter is a required portion of the Patient Assistance Program application.
After application is submitted:
- Applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Eligibility for financial assistance is based on the sole discretion of the American Transplant Foundation and is subject to the availability of funds. All funding decisions are final, and applications may be approved for a different amount than requested at the discretion of the voting committee.
- Due to high volume, please allow 3-6 weeks for processing and TLC Committee Review.
- If the application fits our above guidelines and is approved by the committee, you will receive a response via email.
- All disbursements are made directly to the patient -- it is critical to have the correct patient's address.
PDF application outlines:
- These guides are printable to help you collaborate with the patient. These will NOT be accepted for submission, please use the web portal linked below.
- PAP application guide for Living Donors
- PAP application guide for Living Donors (Spanish)
If you have any questions, please email support@americantransplantfoundation.org for assistance.
Please contact support@americantransplantfoundation.org if you have questions while completing this application.
APPLICATION AND REVIEW PROCESS
Q: Who can submit the applications?
A: Transplant Social Workers/Coordinators must submit the online application on behalf of their patients.
Q: When should applications be submitted?
A: For transplant recipients, applications can be submitted any time after the transplant. For living donors, applications must be submitted at least 2-3 weeks prior to the surgery; we ask that you then email us to confirm that the surgery has taken place.
Q: What information should I include?
A: As much detail as possible about the patient's financial and health situation! We are driven by our desire to help patients and their families, and we need your help to have an accurate picture of the situation the patient is dealing with. Please take the time to describe in detail why the patient is in need of assistance. If we need more information, we will contact you via email.
Q: When can I expect a funding decision after submitting?
A: Depending on the number of applicants, processing time can be anywhere between 3-6 weeks.
Q: How am I notified of the status of an application I submitted?
A: All updates and decisions are sent automatically to the social worker/coordinator’s email that was entered into the application, including inquiries for more information. We recommend adding our email to your safe senders or frequently checking your spam folder. Due to an extremely high number of applicants, we will NOT respond to direct inquiries regarding application status. However, if it is past the review window of 3-6 weeks and you feel there may be an issue, we will assist you.
Q: What is the orientation and how do we complete it?
A: If an application is approved, before the patient is funded, the transplant center’s administrator or director needs to attend a 10-15 minute Zoom orientation with us. This can NOT be completed by the Transplant Social Worker but all are welcome to attend. This only needs to be completed one time per organization; please email support@americantransplantfoundation.org. to confirm if your organization has completed this and/or to schedule.
Q: What is a vendor?
A: The application will ask for a vendor. A vendor is any entity to which the patient will use these funds for. This can be their landlord/mortgage company, utility company, pharmacy, insurance, etc. This information is essential to understand how these funds will be used.
Q: Who will be receiving the funds if approved?
A: The funds are sent directly via check to the patient at the address on the application. We will confirm this address with you prior to sending the funds, but please try to double-check that the address is correct.
Q: Do you have to be a U.S. legal resident to receive assistance? Do you have to live in the U.S.?
A: No, we don’t receive any government funds and are proud to consider all applicants regardless of their legal status. Yes, all applicants have to reside in the United States of America.
Q: Can an unemployed living donor apply for assistance?
A: No. Because this program covers lost wages, it is required that the living donor be employed at the time of the surgery.
FUNDING AND PROGRAM AVAILABILITY
Q: How are funding decisions being made?
A: Our ATF staff first review all applications to ensure that they meet the program guidelines. Applications are then sent to the Transplant Leadership Council (TLC) volunteer members for final decisions. Volunteers only see the first name of the patient and key details; transplant center affiliations are not disclosed.
Q: Where does the American Transplant Foundation (ATF) get funding for this program?
A: ATF does not receive any financial support from the government. Funding comes solely from donations/sponsorships. If you are a social worker or living donor coordinator, the best way you can support this program is to talk to your administrator or director about this program. All sponsorships go directly to the patient assistance fund, are 100% tax-deductible, and come with additional marketing benefits depending on support level.
Q: Is funding for this program guaranteed?
A: No. Our team works hard throughout the year to acquire donations and sponsorships for this program to ensure that funds are available. We don’t receive any government funds. All funding decisions are final. We treat our partner hospitals with utmost respect and expect the same in return in order to participate in the program. That includes following the guidelines and understanding that sometimes technical issues happen.
Q: Is there a maximum amount that patients can receive in PAP grants?
A: Currently, maximum grants are $500 for all transplant recipients and living donors. Although we sincerely wish to provide every applicant with the maximum amount, we are currently receiving a high number of applications and may offer differing amounts to each applicant.
Q: Can our organization partner with ATF to increase funding?
A: Absolutely! We would be thrilled to work with your organization to explore how we can better serve your patients. Please contact support@americantransplantfoundation.org if your administrator would like to discuss options!
OTHER
Q: Are there any additional programs available through your foundation?
A: Yes! We offer several other incredible programs intended to help transplant recipients, living donors, and their families.
A special thank you to our Gold Level Patient Assistance Fund Sponsor:
New York Presbyterian Hospital!
