Our program is designed to provide  financial assistance for the most vulnerable patients with significant financial hardship. Our goal is to provide support to living donors so they won’t be in a financial trouble after giving the Gift of Life and to ensure transplant recipients have access to medication that keeps them alive.  

This is the only program of its kind that is available nationwide that provides emergency financial assistance grants to transplant recipients and living organ donors, regardless of their legal status. All financial decisions are made by our Transplant Leadership Council (TLC) members. 

We do not receive any government funding and rely on generous individuals to provide lifesaving donations that benefit patients in need.

Who can receive grants?

 We focus our funding on the most financially vulnerable patients. We know one size doesn’t fit all, and as an independent, non-government funded foundation we understand that every situation and every patient is unique.

Typically, the individuals and families we help are making up to 200% of current FP guidelines. Please review the guidelines here to determine if you should apply.

We will only consider Living Donors who...

• Will experience extreme financial need as a result of taking unpaid time off  to recover after saving a life and have very limited financial resources
• Will experience lost wages during their hospital stay and/or recovery due to organ donation, AND not be able to donate an organ without facing financial crisis and assistance from our organization is critical
  
  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

We will only consider Transplant Recipients who have...  

• Delinquent insurance premiums to prevent loss of insurance coverage, and/or medication co-payments during insurance gap periods and/or changes in their insurance provider.
  
  

Additional Important Information

1. Applications may only be submitted by transplant program social worker or transplant coordinator. Patients seeking assistance should contact their assigned transplant program social worker or transplant program coordinator for details.
   
   
2. Due to a high volume of applications, please submit your application as much in advance as possible, at least 2-3 weeks before the surgery date. Once the application is submitted, expect the processing time to be 2-3 weeks to receive a funding decision from the volunteer voting committee. Unfortunately, we cannot consider incomplete applications and cannot follow up with each applicant. Please ensure applications are complete.
   
   
3. Please have all vendor, insurance, income/expenses information, and letter from employer (Living Donor Application only) ready before beginning the application. You may not save and return later.
   
4. Please take the time to describe in detail why the patient is in need of assistance. 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 be as detailed as possible. 
   
   
5. Every application that fits the program guidelines is presented to our Transplant Leadership Council members, a group of dedicated volunteers, who ultimately vote on the funding decision; they don't have access to information related the patient's transplant center.  Please click the FAQ button below below for more details on how funding decisions are being made. 
   
   
6. If this is your first application within the last 6 months, you will need to set up an orientation with the American Transplant Foundation. Please email us at support@americantransplantfoundation.org to set up a brief 10-minute conversation.

If you have any questions or if you are having trouble uploading or saving the application, please contact us immediately. For the quickest response, please email Support@AmericanTransplantFoundation.org. 

Q: What is the American Transplant Foundation’s Patient Assistance Program (PAP)?
A: Our program is a privately funded financial assistance program that helps living donors cover lost wages during their
recovery from surgery and helps transplant recipients maintain health insurance coverage and access to
immunosuppressant medications. This program is available nationwide and is focused on the most financially vulnerable
patients and their families. We work hard to raise the funds and are here to provide real help to patients.

Q: Who can submit the applications?
A: Social Workers/Living Donor Coordinators must submit the online application on behalf of their patients at least 2-3
weeks in advance. Applications for Living Donors after the surgery will only be considered if the patient has significant
complications within 30 days post surgery and is required to take more time off than originally planned. For Living Donors
whose applications have been approved – social workers need to confirm the surgery took place with our team the day of
the surgery. Afterwards the funds will be released within 2-3 business days.

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.

Q: What does “covering lost wages” mean?
A: We cover lost wages by directly paying living expenses, such as mortgage/rent, car payment, etc. When submitting an
application, please have your patient’s vendor information available (including phone number and address).

Q: How are funding decisions being made?
A: Decisions are made by the Transplant Leadership Council (TLC) volunteer members. TLC votes in groups of five on a
rotation basis. Volunteers only see the first name of the patient/key details; transplant center affiliations are not disclosed.
ATF staff ensures all applications reviewed by TLC meet the program guidelines.

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 living donors and $1,500 for transplant recipients.

Q: Are there any additional programs available through your foundation?
A: Yes! We offer an incredible 1+1=LIFE Mentorship Program available in 11 languages nationwide (for those on the list,
potential living donors, their caregivers – ALL solid organs), Potential Living Donor Database, Team Transplant and various
public policy initiatives.

The Yi-Fa and Margaret Chang Giving Fund was established in April of 2020 to provide lifesaving financial assistance to transplant recipients who are experiencing significant financial hardship that affects access to post-transplant care when they need it the most. While funding is available, this fund will provide transplant recipients an emergency assistance grant up to $1,000 to cover the expenses (hotels, groceries, utility bills, etc.) that poses a direct financial barrier to patient’s post-transplant care.

Please ensure that you review and gather all documentation prior to submitting the application, as you cannot save and finish the application later. 

You can contact the American Transplant Foundation’s staff at any time with questions about the application process at support@americantransplantfoundation.org.

PLEASE NOTE: Social Worker’s orientation call for Emergency Fund is not required at this time; however, before the application is funded, the transplant center’s administrator need to reach out to support@americantransplantfoundation.org to schedule a call with the American Transplant Foundation’s team for a brief 10 minute orientation – this will allow us to speed up orientations. If your transplant center is planning to utilize Emergency Fund, we encourage your Transplant Administrators to reach out as soon as possible.

Important Deadlines:

• Applications for transplant recipients must be submitted post-surgery; income restrictions apply - see below for guidelines.
• Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis; funding depends on the availability of funds. 

Who do we fund?

• Transplant Recipients who have received any organ transplant and is undergoing post-transplant care.
• This is a one-time, temporary assistance grant to bridge the gap.
• Patients must reside in the United States; legal status is not questioned.
• Patient must not have received more than 1 grant from the American Transplant Foundation. Patients still can apply for general PAP fund if they have never received funding from us before. 
• 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. 
• Fund amount will be determined by need; up to $1,000.

Transplant Social Worker's Responsibility:

• Please have documentation of the crisis or emergency that is posing a direct financial barrier to patient’s post-transplant care. This documentation will vary by patient. If you are unsure of what would be acceptable for your specific request, please reach out to us at support@americantransplantfoundation.org.
• Please take the time to describe in detail why the patient is in need of assistance. 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 be as detailed as possible.
• RECOMMENDED: Please encourage your patients to provide details of their situation and share their story and explain what difference this grant will make for them if the application is approved (photos are optional). They can submit directly to you and you will attach the letter as a part of the application or patients can simply email it to support@americantransplantfoundation.org.
• Staff at the American Transplant Foundation will communicate with the transplant program social worker or transplant program coordinator directly. Patients are discouraged from contacting the Foundation about the status of their application and should contact their transplant program social worker or transplant program coordinator with questions. This will allow us to process the application in the most efficient manner. 

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 fund. All funding decisions are final.
• Applications may be approved for a different amount than requested at the discretion of the voting committee.
• Every application that fits the program guidelines is presented to our volunteer voting council, who ultimately vote on the funding decision. They do not have access to information related to the patient's transplant center or patient's last name. 
• Expect the processing time to be 1-2 weeks to receive a funding decision from the volunteer voting council. Unfortunately, due to the volume of applications, we cannot consider incomplete applications. Please double-check the patient's address in order for the patient to receive their check if the application is approved. *Due to the high volume of applications at this time, processing time could take up to 3-4 weeks to process. 
• All disbursements are made directly to the patient - it is critical to have correct patient's address. 

We may have to limit the number of grants awarded to patients at one transplant center in order to have more equal distribution of funds.

If you have any questions, please email Support@AmericanTransplantFoundation.org for the quickest response.