Transplantation and Organ Donation

A large gap exists between the need for organs for transplantation and organ availability. NKF works to increase the supply of organs for transplantation by: helping to remove financial disincentives for living donors; assisting transplant recipients to recover through expansion of Medicare coverage of immunosuppressive drugs; and promoting measures to expand the pool of available organs.

NKF worked to ensure the passage of the Charlie W. Norwood Living Organ Donation Act (H.R.710 / S.487). This bill sanctions a small but increasingly important form of living organ donation known as “paired kidney donation” whereby incompatible donor-recipient pairs are coupled with other living incompatible donor-recipient pairs to achieve successful transplant matches.

NKF's Thank You to Congress for the Passage of the Charles W. Norwood Living Organ Donation Act (PDF* 33kb download)

Reference Materials:

Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage

Thousands of patients receive a Medicare covered kidney transplant each year. They are eligible for Medicare benefits for the first 36 months following their transplants, including the coverage of their immunosuppressive drugs. After which, recipients who are aged or disabled can continue treatment, including coverage of immunosuppressive drugs, under Medicare Part B. However, those who do not qualify for Medicare or Medicaid face the challenge of enrolling in private health insurance. Often these people are left uninsured and rely on a patchwork of state and pharmaceutical assistance programs to receive their immunosuppressive drugs. This places their transplant at greater risk of rejection, in which case they would return to Medicare covered dialysis.

Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage (PDF* 43kb download)

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