Natl group will help plan fund-raisers for transplants

by Bob McClay KTAR.com

PHOENIX -- A national organization says it will help Arizona transplant candidates, who have lost their health coverage because of cuts in the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, find ways to pay for their treatment.

Rebecca Carr of the National Transplant Assistance Fund says her group rarely deals with patients who have absolutely no insurance or Medicare.

"I'll be totally honest with you. An organ transplant when there is no insurance can frequently be half-a-million dollars. A bone marrow transplant can be a quarter of a million dollars. Some communities can raise that money, but that's a lot of bake sales and barbeques."

But, it can be done, Carr said.

"A community that can do a really successful dinner with auction or golf tournament day can raise $50,000 to $100,000 in a day if they've done their homework and done the prep work for an event like that."

Carr's group usually helps transplant patients find ways to pay for expenses outside the transplant itself.

"That can include the more obvious ones like hospital bills and medications, also travel expenses, caregiver expenses, food and relocation expenses and other things that you might not think of, right off the bat."

Carr welcomes questions from people who need help.

"I will get down to business and start talking to them about what fund-raising events might work in their community, about who they can send letters to asking for assistance -- anything to reach their network to ask for donations. That's what we're going to help them to do."

The fund will also help patients set up a Web site for donations.

“You Have the Power to Save Lives – Register to be an organ and tissue donor & Tell Your Loved Ones of Your Decision”

Register to be a donor in Ontario at Trillium Gift of Life Network NEW for Ontario: recycleMe.org - Learn The Ins & Outs Of Organ And Tissue Donation. Register Today! For other Canadian provinces click here

In the United States, be sure to find out how to register in your state at ShareYourLife.org or Download Donor Cards from OrganDonor.Gov

In Great Britain, register at NHS Organ Donor Register

In Australia, register at Australian Organ Donor Register

Your generosity can save or enhance the lives of up to fifty people with heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas and small intestine transplants (see allotransplantation). One tissue donor can help by donating skin, corneas, bone, tendon, ligaments and heart valves

Has your life been saved by an organ transplant? "Pay it forward" and help spread the word about the need for organ donation - In the U.S. another person is added to the national transplant waiting list every 11 minutes and 18 people die each day waiting for an organ or tissue transplant. Organs can save lives, corneas renew vision, and tissue may help to restore someone's ability to walk, run or move freely without pain. Life Begins with You

In the U.S. No Health Insurance, No Organ?

Nebraska TV

Love it or hate it health care reform is here and it's bringing massive changes to America's health insurance system.

That could mean changes for the way our country approaches organ donation too. The reform plan extends health insurance to millions of Americans who don't have any sort of coverage right now.

With that insurance lifesaving organ transplants could soon be available to thousands of Americans who simply can't afford them right now.

Depending on the organ costs can exceed a million dollars according to the United Network for Organ Sharing. Without insurance not only is funding your transplant unlikely so are your chances of making the list.

Despite Isabel Fermin Desangles husband's death the medical bills keep coming. "We found out February 16th that he needed a liver transplant."

Her husband, Raul Desangles, never got the chance to have a liver transplant. Isabel said it wasn't because of the short period it took for liver failure to claim his life, but because a recent job loss left them without health insurance. "I don't want anyone living with this wonder I have. I wonder if Raul had health insurance if he would be alive."

Currently, more than 100,000 people wait for a transplant, but there are less than 15,000 donors every year. This leaves officials at transplant centers with the tough task of deciding who gets an organ. "It's a scarce commodity. There's not enough organs to go around. It seems hard and cruel. We'd love to transplant everyone, but we just can't," said Sue Miller of the Nebraska Medical Center.

Each of the just 256 organ transplant centers across the country has its own set of criteria for making the list. For many ability to pay is taken into consideration. With a potential million dollar procedure someone has to foot the bill. "It's hard to say things should be paid for. It's easy to say that, but I can understand it's hard to accomplish that. In a perfect world everyone's procedures should be paid for," said Raul's son Chris Desangles.

According to a report by ABC News, one in four willing to donate their organs don't have insurance. This means despite their willingness to give many could never receive. "I'm still a donor, but I want to find out how my organs are going to be used," said Isabel.

It should be noted not every transplant center turns away those unable to pay.

“You Have the Power to Save Lives – Register to be an organ and tissue donor & Tell Your Loved Ones of Your Decision”

Register to be a donor in Ontario or Download Donor Cards from Trillium Gift of Life Network. NEW for Ontario: recycleMe.org - Learn The Ins & Outs Of Organ And Tissue Donation. Register Today! For other Canadian provinces click here

In the United States, be sure to find out how to register in your state at ShareYourLife.org or Download Donor Cards from OrganDonor.Gov

In Great Britain, register at NHS Organ Donor Register

In Australia, register at Australian Organ Donor Register

Your generosity can save up to eight lives with heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas and small intestine transplants (see allotransplantation). One tissue donor can help 75 to 100 other people by donating skin, corneas, bone, tendon, ligaments and heart valves

Has your life been saved by an organ transplant? "Pay it forward" and help spread the word about the need for organ donation - In the U.S. another person is added to the national transplant waiting list every 11 minutes and 18 people die each day waiting for an organ or tissue transplant. Organs can save lives, corneas renew vision, and tissue may help to restore someone's ability to walk, run or move freely without pain. Life Begins with You

Liver patient dies - lack of insurance cited

This article is a further discussion on the concept of Universal Health Care for the United States. If you have an opinion please leave your comments at the end of this post.

Flawed system leaves permanent mark

By Kelsey Duckett INDEPENDENT, Minnesota

The health care industry has failed yet another innocent, hard-working American. The loop-holes, fine-print, lies and scams of insurance companies and the health care industry need to be brought to light and changed now.

On the list of world health care systems, the United States ranks 37th out of 191 countries. Cuba is quickly gaining on he U.S. in the 39th spot, only two spots above Cuba - who offers health care to absolutely everyone.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that 54.5 million people were uninsured for at least part of 2008.

One argument I hear all too often against Universal Health Care is Americans are happy with their health care why change it? Well let's be honest, most Americans may be more than satisfied with their health care, but not everyone is allowed to become a patient.

Since we are on the subject of Universal Health Care, I just want to make clear to the readers that the rest of the Western world provides health insurance to everyone. These same citizens do not face co-pays, monthly premiums, pre-existing conditions or deductibles.

It has been stated by the Institute of Medicine that 18,000 people die every year in the United States because they don't have insurance.

18,000 people die ONLY because they are uninsured and for me, and fellow La Crescent High School Alumni, it has finally hit close to home. Recently Michael Wieser, 27, of La Crescent, a son, brother, uncle, cousin, classmate, athlete and model has died as a result of being uninsured.

In fact, Wieser played Division II college football at North Dakota State University, where he caught one of the most memorable passes in school history in 2003 to lift the Bison over the University of Montana 25-24 - a feat that arguably helped push NDSU into the Division I ranks. Wieser was also a two-time All-American for the Bison.

He was a three-sport standout athlete and student at La Crescent High School. He was the brother to 11 adopted siblings, the son of two loving parents and the friend of many from Minnesota to North Dakota to Nevada - where he was living and working as an entertainer.

Wieser was diagnosed with Wilson's Disease while in college at NDSU in 2001. Wilson's Disease is a genetic disorder that is fatal unless detected and treated before serious illness from copper poisoning develops. Wilson's Disease affects approximately one in 30,000 people worldwide. The genetic defect causes excessive copper accumulation in the liver or brain.

Wieser was uninsured, he was able to get insurance, however he could not afford the insurance, which would have not covered his fight with Wilson's Disease because it was a "pre-existing" condition. Wieser went to the hospital in Las Vegas on Tuesday for what he thought was a simple case of a cold. It turned out the disease had struck again and he would need a liver transplant in order to live.

Wieser was forced to cut many corners in order to manage his disease, and when it got worse, Nevada could not provide him care because it lost its donor program last year.

According to MayoClinic.com, the number of people waiting for a new liver is much larger than the number of available livers, so liver transplant is reserved for people who are critically ill. Some people will receive a liver right away, while others spend many months waiting for a liver transplant. About 6,000 liver transplant operations are performed in the United States each year, according to the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network.

If you are faced with not having insurance certain states will not even consider putting you on the transplant list. You are then forced to find financial support or pay out of pocket and a liver transplant procedure costs between $100,000 to $400,000 depending on time waiting in the hospital ICU and the extent of the liver disease before transplantation.

According to EmoryHealthcare.org, costs can also vary greatly depending on a number of factors including the patients health at baseline, rate of recovery, any pre-existing conditions and/or potential complications after surgery. The severity of rejection and the number of medications or procedures that are needed after surgery can also affect the hospital costs. The cost of medications after the patient goes home from the hospital can range from $700 to $1,000 a month or more.

As of 7:16 a.m. Thursday there were 100,844 candidates on an organ waiting list and 15,722 are waiting for a liver.

Wieser was one of those 15,722 people that were in need of a liver transplant - by the time he had found a way around the cost and found a hospital (Mayo Clinic in Rochester) that would take him and place him on the transplant list - it was too late. Wieser died on Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 7:33 p.m.

No price should be placed upon any human being or any person ever.

A life should NEVER be wasted simply because of money, health insurance or simply because we have holes in our health care system that people fall through daily.

A person should NEVER die when he can be saved with a procedure. A person should NEVER die when there is a cure or he can be saved.

You may not agree with me or with Universal Health Care, but when your son or daughter graduates college and has to find and pay for their health insurance and they either are denied, have a pre-existing condition, or the cost is too much and you find your family in a situation similar to the Wieser family you will understand.

Trust me, when it is your son or daughter, your mother or father, or your best friend on the operating table you will not stand by and let them die simply because of insurance, money, or fine-print.

Enough is enough.

“You Have the Power to Save Lives – Sign Your Donor Card & Tell Your Loved Ones of Your Decision”

Register to be a donor in Ontario or Download Donor Cards from Trillium Gift of Life Network
For other Canadian provinces click here

In the United States, be sure to find out how to register in your state at ShareYourLife.org or Download Donor Cards from OrganDonor.Gov

In Great Britain, register at NHS Organ Donor Register

In Australia, register at Australian Organ Donor Register

Your generosity can save up to eight lives with heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas and small intestine transplants. One tissue donor can help up to 100 other people by donating skin, corneas, bone, tendon, ligaments and heart valves