< General / Financial Assistance Sources >

National Resources Directory
Stadtlanders Pharmacy
800-238-7828

Transplant Support Group Directory (Updated annually)
Chronimed Pharmacy
13911 Ridgedale Drive
Minnetonka, MN 55305
800-753-5583 / 612-513-6536 & 800-444-5951 X6583 Heidi Svendsen

American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases
6900 Grove Road
Thorofare, NJ 08086-9447
609-848-1000
FAX: 609-848-5274

American Bone Marrow Donor Registry
University of Massachusetts Medical Center
Department of pediatrics
55 Lake Ave
Worcester, MA 01655
Patient Coordinating Center 800-726-2824
DNA/CT/TX Coordinating Center 800-745-2452
Donor Operations Center 800-736-6283

American Diabetics Association
1660 Duke St
Alexandria, VA 22314
703-549-1500
FAX: 703-836-7439

American Heart Association
7272 Greenville Ave
Dallas, TX 75231-4596
214-373-6300
FAX: 214-706-1341
e-mail: aasld@slackinc.com

American Kidney Fund
6110 Executive Blvd.,
Suite 1010
Rockville, Maryland 20852
800-638-8299
FAX: 301-881-0898
    Provides limited grants to needy dialysis patients, kidney transplant recipients, and living kidney donors to help cover the cost of health-related expenses, transportation, and medication. Provides information and support for kidney donation and transplantation, as well as general education and information on kidney disease.

American Liver Foundation
1425 Pompton Avenue
Cedar Grove, NJ 07009
800-223-0179 or 201-256-2550
FAX: 201-256-3214
http://www.liverfoundation.org/
    Provides limited financial assistance for health-related expenses.

American Organ Transplant Association (AOTA)
PO Box 277
Missouri City, TX 77459
713-261-2682
FAX: 713-499-2315
    A private, non-profit group that provides a number of services to transplant recipients and their families, including airfare and bus tickets and advice on fund-raising and setting up trust funds. Patients must be referred by their physician.

American Red Cross Tissue Services
2025 E. St. NW
Suite 207
Washington, DC 20006
202-728-6503
FAX: 202-659-2439
e-mail: mayr@usa.redcross.org

American Share Foundation
http://www.asf.org
    A private, non-profit international group that is currently operated for educational and charitable purposes. Corporate members belong to ASCOT (American Share Coalition On Transplant). Annually publishes "The 199X Transplant Desk Reference", (the 1995 issue was a 385 page book) as one of its educational resources. This organization provides ASTIC (American Share Transplant Information Center) terminals at transplant centers to allow professionals and patients to access the World Wide Web for information as part of its educational effort.

American Society of Nephrology
1200 19th St. NW
Suite 300
Washington, DC 20036
202-857-1190
FAX: 202-223-4579
e-mail: Judy_Thomas@sba.com

Anatomic Gift Foundation, Inc.
Barbara Anne DeBoer Foundation
2069 S. Brusse Road
Mount Prospect, IL. 60056
800-300-LIFE / 800-300-5433
708-981-0130
FAX: 602-528-3717
    Helps identify and utilize resources in your community for fundraising efforts. Develops a volunteer committee from your friends, associates, interested community workers and your family. Helps the committee organize, focus its energies, and begin planning various events and programs. Throughout the campaign, ongoing support from the staff is available.

Biliary Atresia & Liver Transplant Network
3835 Richmond Ave.
Box 190
Staten Island, NY 10312-3828
718-987-6200
FAX: 718-987-6200
e-mail: OrganTrans@aol.com

Center for Liver Diseases
1500 NW 12th Ave.
Suite 1101
Miami, FL 33136
305-547-5787

Children's Organ Transplant Association (COTA)
2501 COTA Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
800-366-2682 or 812-336-8872
FAX: 812-336-8885
    A national, non-profit agency raising funds for individuals and families to assist with transplant and related expenses. Works with adults as well as children. All funds raised go to the individual. No administrative fees are collected.

Children's Transplant Association
PO Box 53699
Dallas, TX 75253
214-287-8484
    A private, non-profit organization that assists with fund-raising efforts in local communities, and is empowered to set up and administer transplant trust funds.

International Bone Marrow Transplant Registry
Medical College of WI
P.O. Box 26509
Milwaukee, WI 53226
414-456-8325
FAX: 414-266-8471
http://www.biostat.mcw.edu/
e-mail: ibmtrmh@hpo4.biostat.mcw.edu

Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International
432 Park Ave. South
New York, NY 10016-8013
800-JDF-CURE / 800-533-2873
FAX: 212-725-7259

Marcelino Pan y Vino Inc.
contact: Fr. Jose Eugenio Hoyos
St. Anthony's Catholic Church
3305 Glen Carlyn Road
Falls Church, VA 22041
703-820-7111
    A private, non-profit organization dedicated to providing financial, social and emotional support to Latino children needing transplants, and their families.

National Kidney Foundation
30 East 33rd St.
New York, NY 10016 212-889-2210 FAX: 212-689-9261
http://www.kidney.org/

National Transplant Assistance Fund (NTAF)
Suite 230, 3475 West Chester Pike
Newtown Square, PA 19073
800-642-8399
www.transplantfund.org
NTAF@transplantfund.org

A nonprofit organization serving organ/tissue transplant patients and those suffering results of catastrophic injury. NTAF helps families and friends organize, launch and sustain fundraising campaigns in their communities while assuring fiscal accountability as trustee and tax deductibility to contributors. The 501(c)3 organization awards $1,000 challenge grants to eligible patients.

National Marrow Donor Program
3433 Broadway St. NE
Suite 500
Minneapolis, MN 55413
800-627-7692
FAX: 612-627-5899
http://www.marrow.org
e-mail: info@marrow.org

World Children's Transplant Fund
16000 Ventura Blvd.
Suite 103
Encino, CA 91436
818-905-9283
FAX: 818-905-9315
e-mail: WCTF@asf.org
    A private, non-profit organization dedicated to providing financial, social and emotional support to children of the world needing organ transplants, and their families. Founded in memory of Veronica Arguello of Argentina. Has a program to build a "Veronicas House" within walking distance at all transplant centers. Government Programs

If you are over 65, disabled, indigent, a veteran, or a family member of a retired or active member of the military, you may be eligible for assistance from one of several government programs. If you are under 65 and disabled by end stage kidney disease you are eligible for coverage under Medicare. You should contact your local Social Security office for information on Social Security Disability and Medicare; the local Medicaid office for Medicaid and common health insurance requirements; the Health Benefit Advisor at the nearest military facility for information about the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS); and the local VA office or nearest VA medical center for information about VA benefits.

Social Security Administration
800-772-1213

Veterans Administration
    If you have served in the military and received an honorable discharge, you may be eligible for VA benefits, including immunosuppressant drugs.

United States Government - Veterans Resource Center
800-606-2022

Medicare - Health Care Financing Administration
Office of Coverage Policy
CS-02-23
7500 Security Blvd.
Baltimore, MD 21244-1850
410-786-4487
301-786-1295

Medicare Managed Care
    When investigating these plans we advise that you confirm that the "HMO" plan you are considering does cover or include organ transplants as well as post-transplant medications.
    Virginia 800-552-3402
    Maryland 800-243-3425
    District of Columbia 202-676-3900

Health Insurance Plans
    The following is a limited list of insurance plans that are known to be available that candidates and recipients may be able to utilize.

Virginia

NOVA Alliance offers open season in September.

Northern Virginia Chambers of Commerce - Must be a member of Chamber of Commerce, open to all new members.

Maryland

NYLCare of Maryland, No medical questions, age based rating. Must be a Maryland resident. 800-635-3121.

Maryland Self-Employed/Small Group open season. Age based rating, no exclusions for preexisting medical conditions. Must work in, or be a resident of Maryland. Usually advertised twice a year as open (June and December).

Maryland Chambers of Commerce - Must be a member of Chamber of Commerce, open to all new members.

District of Columbia

Open enrollment in December of each year. Various plans with various pricing are reported as being available. This is reported to change from year to year.

District of Columbia Chamber of Commerce - Must be a member of Chamber of Commerce, open to all new members.

High-Risk Health Insurance Pools

A directory of high-risk insurance policies available state-by-state has been put together by an organization called Communicating for Agriculture. These policies are rather expensive and not available in all states, and need to be carefully considered to determine if they meet your needs. However, when available, they may be an excellent way to obtain necessary health coverage. 800-420-9333. Or contact your State Department of Insurance.

Virginia

Has an open enrollment. However, only one insurance company was reported as participating and the rates are reported to be very high with few enrolled.

Maryland

Has open enrollment spring and fall, and it was reported that the pool had about 14 insurance companies participating. The rates are reported to be rather high.

District of Columbia

Open enrollment in December of each year. Various plans with various pricing are reported as being available. This is reported to change from year to year.

  . .  

National Heart Assist and Transplant Fund
PO Box 163
519 W. Lancets Ave.
Haverford, PA. 19041
800-642-8399
    A private, non-profit organization dedicated to providing financial, social and emotional support to patients needing heart and heart/lung transplants and their families. The Fund offers modest financial support by awarding emergency grants of several hundred dollars to eligible candidates to help offset immediate treatment-related costs such as medications, home care and transportation.

Organ Transplant Fund, Inc.
1102 Brookfield
Suite 202
Memphis, TN 38119
800-489-3863
901-684-1697
FAX: 901-684-1128
e-Mail: otfnatl@aol.com
http://www.otf.org
    Provides clients with fundraising expertise and materials and assures that funds raised are properly disbursed. Limited emergency grants are available for medications, which is a program that formerly was provided by The Transplant Foundation which operation is now merged with the Organ Transplant Fund Inc. State Assistance Programs

Virginia
    None known at the time of this printing.

Maryland
Kidney Disease Program of Maryland
201 West Preston Street, Room 314A
Baltimore, MD 21201
410-225-5000

District of Columbia
    None known at the time of this printing.

South East Organ Procurement Foundation (SEOPF)
SMS Pharmacy Grant Program
804 342-1414
    The mission of the SEOPF pharmacy grant program is to provide prescription medications to eligible recipients of solid organ transplants as funding will allow.

The Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation
960 Holmdel Road
Holmdel, NJ 07733
908-946-1222
FAX: 908-946-7787

The Transplant Foundation
8002 Discovery Drive
Suite 310
Richmond, VA 23229
804 285-5115
    A national, non-profit volunteer organization providing grants to transplant recipients to offset the costs of immunosuppressive medications. The number of individuals who can receive assistance, and the amount of the grants, are determined by total contributions each year. As of 1996 this organization is merged with the Organ Transplant Fund.

William J. Berghorn Transplant Foundation
7777 Forest Lane
Dallas, TX 75230
214-661-7199
    Serves as a resource for patients seeking funding for medical care and educational needs.

William Rizzo Community Foundation, Inc.
PO Box 762
Natick, MA 01760
    A non-profit charitable organization committed to easing the burden on critically ill individuals and their families. It offers financial assistance and practical advice in reaching agencies and individuals who may be able to help. Each application is evaluated on the basis of individual need.

Will Sampson Transplant Foundation
4710 Greeley Street
Suite 300
Houston, TX 77006
800-383-LIFE / 800-383-5433
    A non-profit, voluntary organization that functions as a resource center and information clearinghouse. Its staff advises individuals on fundraising in local communities, and makes referrals to transplant centers.

World Children's Transplant Fund
16000 Ventura Blvd.
Suite 103
Encino, CA 91436
818-905-9283
FAX: 818-905-9315
e-mail: WCTF@asf.org
    A private, non-profit organization dedicated to providing financial, social and emotional support to children of the world needing organ transplants, and their families. Founded in memory of Veronica Arguello of Argentina. Has a program to build a "Veronica's House" within walking distance at all transplant centers.

Last updated: January 4, 2002