Common Expenses and How to Fundraise

A liver transplant can be a life-changing source of hope. However, the cost can be a significant barrier to care. Learn how much a liver transplant costs, which expenses you may have to cover, and how to get liver transplant financial help, including how to fundraise for a transplant.

How Much Does a Liver Transplant Cost?

According to this 2020 study by Milliman, a liver transplant costs $878,400 before insurance. This estimate includes the following:

• Pre-transplant medical care needs refer to the 30 days leading up to the liver transplant procurement and procedure.
• Organ procurement can be difficult due to the global shortage of organ donors. So just how much does a liver cost? According to the Milliman study, a liver costs an average of $104,000.
• Hospital admission for a transplant is the largest expense for a liver transplant.
• Physician costs for a liver transplant may add up but choosing a physician that matches the patient’s needs is almost the most important factor to consider.
• Post-transplant medical care needs like checkups, and medications can vary depending on the medicines, number of checkups needed, and the duration of the patient’s post-transplant medical care.

Most Common Liver Transplant Expenses

Did you know that the transplant center may require you to show proof of your ability to financially support a transplant before you can join the waiting list for a liver? You may be required to fundraise a certain amount just to be listed for transplant.

How Much Does a Liver Transplant Cost With Insurance?

No–in most cases, insurance does not cover the entire cost of a liver transplant and post-transplant care. It is important to discuss these costs with your insurance provider to confirm which costs of the transplant they can cover.

Liver transplant fundraising is one way to supplement the out-of-pocket expenses that my accrue over a patient’s transplant treatment duration.

Liver Transplant Financial Help

If you are struggling to manage the cost of a liver transplant, you are not alone. Most liver transplant candidates are not able to cover the cost of care without assistance.

At Help Hope Live, our nonprofit assists liver transplant candidates and other patients with community-based fundraising. Fundraising can be a powerful way to provide a financial safety net to a transplant candidate or recipient.

What Makes Help Hope Live Different from GoFundMe?

Unlike GoFundMe, Help Hope Live:

• Verifies your medical need for complete donor confidence

• Enables tax-deductible donations

• Provides one-on-one fundraising help

• Manages all funds raised to protect your state-based benefits (funds raised are not considered personal income/assets to you)

Help Hope Live is a nonprofit with decades of transplant fundraising experience and a perfect 4-star Charity Navigator rating.

Does Fundraising Work?

Here are a few liver transplant fundraising stories from Help Hope Live:

These patients got liver transplant financial help from Help Hope Live through liver transplant fundraising.

"We could not have made it this far without your support"

A yearly checkup left Tony Billings and his wife Maxine with shocking news: Tony had a cancerous tumor on his liver. His care team told him to anticipate $600 per month in post-transplant medications. With Help Hope Live, Tony and Maxine unlocked personalized support, a secure online donation page, and a place to share critical health updates with their community. He received a liver transplant in 2018.

"Thank you, Help Hope Live! I really don’t think this transplant would have been possible without y’all. This could be the fundraiser that saves your loved one’s life, like it was for us."

Donnie Stone received a life-changing transplant in 2014 to fight Hepatitis C. His out-of-pocket medical costs were projected to exceed $1,800 per month.

"Our entire Help Hope Live experience has been an amazing blessing. We couldn’t have made it through the past year without it."

TJ Miller is a father of three who spent 22 years fighting an incurable liver disease before a family friend became his living liver donor. He was expected to cover out-of-pocket medical expenses of up to $5,000 per month, including the cost of a full-time caregiver after his transplant.