Increasing Rates of Patients on a Transplant Waitlist

Transplant Information During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Florida Transplant Centers:

• Tampa General Hospital: https://www.tgh.org/services/transplant/kidney-transplant
• UF Health Shands: https://ufhealth.org/kidney-transplant
• Largo Medical Center―Transplant Institute of Florida: https://largomedical.com/specialties/kidney-transplant
• The Miami Transplant Institute: https://jacksonhealth.org/transplant/
• Mayo Clinic Kidney Transplant Program: https://www.mayoclinic.org/departments-centers/kidney-transplant/home/orc-20203197
• Halifax Health Center for Transplant Services: https://www.halifaxhealth.org/services-treatments/our-services/transplant
• Ascension Sacred Heart Kidney Transplant Program: https://healthcare.ascension.org/Locations/Florida/FLPEN/Pensacola-Ascension-Sacred-Heart-Kidney-Transplant-Program
• Cleveland Clinic Florida Kidney Transplant Program: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/florida/departments/transplant/depts/kidney
• Advent Health Orlando Transplant Institute: https://www.adventhealth.com/hospital/adventhealth-orlando/transplant-institute
• Memorial Healthcare System Transplant Institute: https://www.mhs.net/services/transplant

Transplant Medication Resources:

• American Society of Transplantation (AST) Medication Access and Drug Shortage Concerns During the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Patients should always contact the transplant center that they are working with. There are financial coordinators that may be able to provide advice.
• Most pharmaceutical companies have assistance programs for their medications.  It can sometimes be a lengthy process and take a month or two for approval, but often patients can get the medications for free:
  
  • Astellas Pharma US, Inc.: https://www.astellas.com/us/patients-and-caregivers/resources-and-contacts
  • Novartis: https://www.novartis.us/our-products/patient-assistance
  • Pfizer: https://www.pfizerrxpathways.com/
  • UNOS link to pharmaceutical company patient assistance phone numbers for frequently prescribed transplant medications: https://transplantliving.org/financing-a-transplant/prescription-drug-assistance/
• COBRA: Even though the premiums are extremely expensive, patients can apply for premium assistance through the American Kidney Fund (AKF). If the patient qualifies, AKF may reimburse patients for the medical premium only.
• Medicare will cover medication costs for the first 3 years.  The patient may also be able to move into a Medicare supplement plan.
• Good Rx (https://www.GoodRx.com): Provides coupons to lower the cost of prescriptions.
• National Kidney Foundation prescription resources: https://www.kidney.org/patients/resources_Prescription
• Cornerstones4Care.com: https://www.cornerstones4care.com/. This is a program for patients requiring insulin after transplant.

Florida-Specific Resources:

The NKF of Florida’s Hawthorne Patient Assistance Fund will provide short-term financial assistance to qualified kidney transplant recipients to meet the cost of their kidney transplant related medications (immunosuppressant and prophylaxis drugs), while they seek out other longer-term solutions.

Approved patient applicants are eligible to receive assistance of up to $1,000 per month, with a lifetime maximum of $3,000, paid directly to their pharmacy of choice. 

Patient education: Partnering Along the Road to Transplant (English/Spanish): Use this handout to educate on ways to improve communication between patients and their providers and ease the transplant process for patients.

Ascent to Transplant videos for patients and healthcare providers:

• Patient-focused video
• Healthcare provider-focused video

Understanding the Kidney Allocation System: Wednesday February 19, 2020

Arizona Mayo Clinic Transplant physicians, Dr. Khamash and Dr. Jadlowiec, share a wealth of information on the essentials to understanding the Kidney Allocation System. This presentation may be viewed at the link below:

• Play recording (56 mins.)