COST OF A TRANSPLANT
The cost of a transplant, including preliminary testing, the surgery itself and post-operative recovery costs vary across the country and depend on the hospital and organ type. These costs start to add up, even before your transplant. Therefore, patients commonly rely on several sources to help pay for their medical and non-medical costs of pre- and post-transplantation.
Medical Costs
Insurance Deductibles
Insurance Co-pays
Pre-transplant evaluation and testing
Surgery
Fees for the recovery of the organ from the donor
Follow-up care and testing
Additional hospital stays for complications
Fees for surgeons, radiologists, anesthesiologists and recurring lab testing
Anti rejection and other drugs which can easily exceed $2500 per month
Rehabilitation
Non-medcial Costs
Food, lodging, long distance phone calls to family members
Transportation to and from your transplant center before and after transplant
Plane travel to get to the transplant hospital quickly
Child Care
Lost wages if your employer doesn't pay for your time you and your family are away from work
Lodging if your transplant center is not close to your home.
AVERAGE COSTS FOR A TRANSPLANT
The costs will vary for each patient, based on insurance coverage, the type of transplant and the location of the transplant center. Patients will also incur lifetime medical expenses for follow-up care and prescriptions.
Below is a list of average costs for transplants and first-year expenses. The actual costs may be higher or lower than the figures listed here:
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Estimated U.S. Average 2011 Billed Charges Per Transplant
Transplant 30 Days Pre- Procurement Hospital Physician 180 Days Immuno- Total
transplant Transplant During Post- suppressants
Admission Transplant transplant
Dishcharge
Heart Only $47,200 $80,400 $634,300 $67,700 $137,800 $30,300 $997,700
Single Lung $10,300 $73,100 $302,900 $33,500 $117,700 $23,700 $561,200
Double Lung $21,400 $90,300 $458,500 $56,300 $142,600 $28,200 $797,300
Heart/Lung $56,800 $130,500 $777,700 $81,000 $169,100 $33,300 $1,148,400
Liver $25,400 $71,000 $316,900 $46,000 $93,900 $23,300 $577,100
Kidney $17,000 $67,200 $91,200 $18,500 $50,800 $18,200 $262,900
Pancreas $17,000 $65,000 $108,900 $17,800 $61,400 $19,300 $289,400
Intestine $55,100 $78,500 $787,900 $104,100 $146,600 $34,600 $1,206,800
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Funding Sources
Common funding sources to help with the costs of transplants include:
Note: This information is only a brief summary and is not intended to provide complete information. Ask your transplant financial team and your insurance provider or employee benefits officer for the latest information or help.
Reference and Publication Information
Transplant Living and United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) is committed to providing accurate and reliable information for transplant patients. The content on this page was originally created on July 10, 2003 by UNOS and last modified on December 28, 2011. The following sources were used as references: Milliman, Inc.
This information is intended solely for the purpose of providing the public with general health related information and convenient access to data resources. UNOS is not affiliated with any one product nor does UNOS assume responsibility for error, omissions or other discrepancies.
The cost of a transplant, including preliminary testing, the surgery itself and post-operative recovery costs vary across the country and depend on the hospital and organ type. These costs start to add up, even before your transplant. Therefore, patients commonly rely on several sources to help pay for their medical and non-medical costs of pre- and post-transplantation.
Medical Costs
Insurance Deductibles
Insurance Co-pays
Pre-transplant evaluation and testing
Surgery
Fees for the recovery of the organ from the donor
Follow-up care and testing
Additional hospital stays for complications
Fees for surgeons, radiologists, anesthesiologists and recurring lab testing
Anti rejection and other drugs which can easily exceed $2500 per month
Rehabilitation
Non-medcial Costs
Food, lodging, long distance phone calls to family members
Transportation to and from your transplant center before and after transplant
Plane travel to get to the transplant hospital quickly
Child Care
Lost wages if your employer doesn't pay for your time you and your family are away from work
Lodging if your transplant center is not close to your home.
AVERAGE COSTS FOR A TRANSPLANT
The costs will vary for each patient, based on insurance coverage, the type of transplant and the location of the transplant center. Patients will also incur lifetime medical expenses for follow-up care and prescriptions.
Below is a list of average costs for transplants and first-year expenses. The actual costs may be higher or lower than the figures listed here:
- Bone Marrow (autologous): $360,000
- Bone Marrow (allogeneic): $800,000
- Cornea: $25,000
- Heart: $1 million
- Intestine: $1.2 million
- Kidney: $260,000
- Liver: $575,000
- Lung: $550,000
- Double Lung: $800,000
- Pancreas: $290,000
- Heart/Lung: $1.2 million
- Kidney/Pancreas: $475,000
- Kidney/Heart: $1.3 million
- Liver/Kidney: $1 million
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Estimated U.S. Average 2011 Billed Charges Per Transplant
Transplant 30 Days Pre- Procurement Hospital Physician 180 Days Immuno- Total
transplant Transplant During Post- suppressants
Admission Transplant transplant
Dishcharge
Heart Only $47,200 $80,400 $634,300 $67,700 $137,800 $30,300 $997,700
Single Lung $10,300 $73,100 $302,900 $33,500 $117,700 $23,700 $561,200
Double Lung $21,400 $90,300 $458,500 $56,300 $142,600 $28,200 $797,300
Heart/Lung $56,800 $130,500 $777,700 $81,000 $169,100 $33,300 $1,148,400
Liver $25,400 $71,000 $316,900 $46,000 $93,900 $23,300 $577,100
Kidney $17,000 $67,200 $91,200 $18,500 $50,800 $18,200 $262,900
Pancreas $17,000 $65,000 $108,900 $17,800 $61,400 $19,300 $289,400
Intestine $55,100 $78,500 $787,900 $104,100 $146,600 $34,600 $1,206,800
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Funding Sources
Common funding sources to help with the costs of transplants include:
- Private Health Insurance
- COBRA Extended Employer Group Coverage
- Medicare
- Medicare Prescription Drug Plans
- MediGap Plans
- State Health Insurance Assistance Programs
- Medicaid
- Charitable Organizations
- Advocacy Organizations
- Fundraising Campaigns
- TRICARE (Formerly Champus) and Veterans Administration (VA)
- State "High Risk" Insurance Pool
Note: This information is only a brief summary and is not intended to provide complete information. Ask your transplant financial team and your insurance provider or employee benefits officer for the latest information or help.
Reference and Publication Information
Transplant Living and United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) is committed to providing accurate and reliable information for transplant patients. The content on this page was originally created on July 10, 2003 by UNOS and last modified on December 28, 2011. The following sources were used as references: Milliman, Inc.
This information is intended solely for the purpose of providing the public with general health related information and convenient access to data resources. UNOS is not affiliated with any one product nor does UNOS assume responsibility for error, omissions or other discrepancies.
