Finding Financial Support for Kidney Transplant

How Much Does a Kidney Transplant Cost?

According to a Milliman Research Report, the estimated cost of a kidney transplant in 2025 before insurance is $446,800 in the United States. The cost breakdown is as follows.

Estimated Cost of Kidney Transplant Treatments

• Pre-transplant medical care needs to refer to the 30 days following the transplant procedure.
• Organ procurement can be difficult due to the global shortage of organ donors. When also factoring in matching and other various factors, its no wonder that the average cost reported is $100,000+.
• Hospital admission for a transplant is often one of the largest expenses for any transplant or cancerous treatment. Consider talking with your physician and insurance provider about ways to reduce these out-of-pocket costs.
• Physician costs for transplants can be costly but choosing the right physician to fit the patient’s needs should be the biggest priority.
• Post-transplant medical care needs like outpatient office checkups, immunosuppressants, and other medications can vary greatly depending on the medications prescribed, the number of visits needed, and the duration of your post-transplant medical care.

Common Out-of-Pocket Kidney Transplant Expenses

There are various out-of-pocket costs for kidney transplants, including joining the transplant waiting list. Many transplant centers have a policy in place that requires patients to prove that they have the financial capability to proceed with the kidney transplant process before they can be listed.

There are even out-of-pocket costs for kidney donors that the patient’s insurance won’t cover like travel and other non-medical expenses.

Other out-of-pocket costs may include:

• Health insurance premiums, deductibles, and co-pays
• Pre-transplant medications
• Unexpected pre-transplant hospitalizations
• Medical travel and temporary lodging while you are being listed for a transplant
• Medical travel and temporary lodging while you receive the transplant
• Relocation or moving expenses due to the transplant
• Mileage, tolls, and parking fees for transplant-related medical travel
• Caregiver costs, including lost work
• Living donor costs, including lost work, transplant testing, and post-transplant medical care
• Post-transplant immunosuppressants, which a transplant recipient must take for the rest of their life

Below are additional statistics from a 2020 study that surveyed patients in the United States receiving a kidney transplant by category.

Finding Financial Help

Most kidney transplant candidates cannot cover the costs associated with a kidney transplant and post-transplant care without assistance. That’s where Help Hope Live comes in: our nonprofit helps kidney transplant candidates to start community-based fundraising campaigns so they can receive the gift of life.

How Does Fundraising for Kidney Transplants Work?

Fundraising with our nonprofit works as follows:

1. Submit a campaign request at helphopelive.org/get-started/apply
2. You’ll be paired with a Client Services Coordinator
3. Your Coordinator will provide you with one-on-one fundraising help, including personalized fundraising materials and guidance on how to rally your community, share your story on social media, reach out to the press, plan in-person or virtual fundraising events, and much more