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Transplant News and Events
Hello everyone!
Many events are held each year and many news stories are published that may interest the transplant community. We thought it might be nice to let people know of some of these events and stories, even if they may not apply to everyone. In this discussion, feel free to post events and news stories that might be of interest to transplant patients, caregivers, or donors.
Of note, be sure that your posts don’t violate any of the rules of Connect – you can find those here: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/community-guidelines/.
Specifically, please be sure you don’t post commercial postings, advertisements or solicitations.
- Postings such as advertisements for your business, get-rich-quick schemes or solicitations for a charity will be removed. Unfortunately, it is impossible to verify the validity of each and every organization that solicits donations; therefore, to protect you from fraud, we must prohibit solicitations for charities.
What events are you looking forward to?
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Thanks everyone for the posts on medicare & immune suppression. There are SO many factors that weigh into this (age, type of transplant, coverage/payment for transplant .....) that it gets really confusing! I’m not typically old enough for medicare either (I’m 63) but I qualified for medicare part A 15 years ago due to disability. That is when I had my pancreas transplant (2005). This past year due to COVID my husband lost his job & insurance. We started COBRA insurance but quickly found out that I was eligible for medicare part B and that it was considered to be my primary insurance. (To BAD I wasn’t signed up for it!) I immediately got signed up for part B, part D and a medigap supplement policy. My husband found new policies for himself too.
Flash forward to now. The medicare immune suppression coverage is STILL chaotic but I’m starting to get my “parts” in place and member cards on file. I have had various entities from my previous insurance and medicare tell me that immune suppression coverage falls under part B, part D and even under durable medical equipment! I was also told that it depends on the organ transplanted, how the transplant was covered, whether there was prior authorization for the medication and how long the medication would be prescribed (as if transplant patients can stop taking their immune suppression at some point)! It sure is a “clusterf————“! Sorry Siri couldn’t find an acceptable alternative word.
Meanwhile I continue to take my meds and am still SO thankful to God for my transplant. I believe that providing immune suppression shouldn’t be a problem for God. But He does work in mysterious ways. I’ll update again if/when I learn anything that may be useful regarding the payment for immune suppression.
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3 ReactionsI'm not old enough to qualify for medicare.
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3 ReactionsIt looks like kidney to me but the details are sparse in the article. I hesitated posting it because it could be too political for some but i was hoping someone in our community here would know more.
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2 Reactions@contentandwell @danab -
The information that @jolinda posted is related to the immune suppression drug coverage for Kidney Transplant patients.
It does not relate to your drug coverage as liver or heart transplant patients. It can be confusing and so I am posting a link that gives a quick explanation -
Congress passes immunosuppressive drug coverage expansion for kidney transplant patients
by American Society of Nephrology
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-12-congress-immunosuppressive-drug-coverage-expansion.html
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4 Reactions@contentandwell No up to now it cost me 10.00 per 90 day order I just got my last order mid December so I'm.going to question it. I'll let you know what I find out.
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2 Reactions@jolinda @danab have you not been getting your immunosuppressants paid for by Medicare B up until now? Mine have always been covered.
J
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2 Reactions@jolinda I did find out that Medicare part b also covers transplant meds but I'm guessing your saying anyone? Is that also for any transplant or just Kidney.
Dana
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1 ReactionImmune suppression drugs fully covered for kidney transplant patients! If this is real it's amazing! I don't know how I missed this but maybe it got buried in the news? Is anyone else seeing these news stories? - @jolinda
ROCKVILLE, MD / ACCESSWIRE / December 28, 2020 / The following statement may be attributed to LaVarne A. Burton, president and CEO of the American Kidney Fund:
“The American Kidney Fund (AKF) thanks President Donald J. Trump for signing a legislative package that includes giving kidney transplant recipients comprehensive immunosuppressive drug coverage for the life of their transplant. AKF and all Ambassadors in the AKF Advocacy Network have worked tirelessly for years on this life sustaining legislation which adds a new Medicare coverage option for immunosuppressive drugs-also known as antirejection drugs-relied on by kidney transplant patients for the life of their transplant.
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6 Reactions@tasher3433
Congratulations to you and your family! What a blessing that both donor and recipient are doing well. It is the best news ever. We are so fortunate to be given a second lease on life...now you're bringing tears to my eyes!
Hugs,
@jolinda
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3 ReactionsI too, am so grateful for my successful transplant done by Dr Prieto. It’s been two + years since my daughter donated one of her kidneys to me. We are both doing well. Whenever there’s a story on the news about a kidney donor and recipient, I’m totally drawn to it and it can be emotional, remembering how fortunate I am.
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