One worry, lifted

When you make a donation in honor or in memory of friends and loved ones, your money goes directly to transplant patients in order to help them with medical expenses and transplant-related costs. Through the Patient Assistance Program, the American Transplant Foundation is giving hope to transplant patients in need.

We recently received the following messages from two individuals who were involved in Patient Assistance Grants made this year. We’d like to share them with you so that you can see the impact your donations have on patients’ lives.

From the wife of a transplant recipient:

“Thank you for your support.  You kindness will never be forgotten…Foundations like yours and people like you serve as a beacon of light in times of darkness for those like us who truly need help.”

-MH, June 5, 2011

From a social worker assisting a kidney recipient:

“I can’t thank the American Transplant Foundation enough for their recent assistance.  As a social worker, I have many different resources to pull from when a patient has a crisis and my job is to utilize those resources and work with the patient to come up with a plan to solve whatever problem has arisen.  However, recently I had a patient that was not eligible for any of the programs that I usually turn to and was very close to losing his kidney transplant.

This patient had a kidney transplant at the beginning of the year and due to several complications with the transplant, was out of work much longer than expected.  Without any income, he was unable to make his insurance premium payments and did not have any family members that could help him financially.  After a few months, his insurance was terminated and he was unable to obtain his anti-rejection medications.  By this time he had returned to work and was able to make on-going premium payments, however the insurance would not reinstate him unless he was able to pay the prior months’ premiums, which he could not afford.  This was also the only insurance plan that he could be eligible for in this state.  Without this insurance it would be impossible for him to afford his anti-rejection medication and he would have lost his transplant.

This patient worked throughout the time he was on dialysis and went back to work as soon as he could after the transplant.  Despite having insurance, his medication co-pays are about $300/month, in addition to his monthly insurance premiums.  Although these costs are difficult for him, working at a minimum wage job, he has made his transplant a priority.  However, he got in a bind and resources were almost non-existent.  The American Transplant Foundation was so responsive and caring and they were able to bridge the gap during his emergency, which resulted in the patient being able to reinstate his insurance, continue on his anti-rejection medications, and keep his transplant.

Thank You!

– Heather Alvarez, LISW, CCTSW, May 27, 2011

As you can see, though small, the grants we make to assist transplant patients in times of need are making a big impact.  If you would like to contribute to the Patient Assistance Program, you may do so in the following ways:

• Make a donation in honor or memory of a loved one;
• If you do not have a person you’d like to honor, make a donation and include “Patient Assistance Program” in the Note/Dedication field; or
• Join the Transplant Leadership Council.

About the Patient Assistance Program

In January 2009, the American Transplant Foundation unveiled the Patient Assistance Program. Funded exclusively through donations made in honor and in memory of loved ones and funds raised by the Transplant Leadership Council, these monies are earmarked to provide one-time financial assistance to transplant patients on a case-by-case basis. By working closely with transplant centers, the Foundation takes case referrals and requests and, based upon funds availability and patient eligibility, provides assistance to those most in need. Requests must come from social workers at transplant centers who are members of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the private, nonprofit organization that manages the nation’s organ transplant system under contract with the federal government. Funds are dispersed to the third-party vendor involved, such as the insurance provider, not directly to the patient. http://www.americantransplantfoundation.org/programs/current-programs/#PatientAssistance