Financial Assessment

The pancreas transplant team will help you determine the amount of financial coverage you have for your transplant, as well as your pre-transplant and post-transplant services. However, arranging for coverage and payment of your insurance and healthcare bills is ultimately your responsibility. Therefore, it is extremely important that you become familiar with your insurance policy and its provisions. It is also important that you pay the premiums to keep your insurance up to date, and that you send bills or other important forms to your insurance company. Finally, it is essential that you notify the pancreas transplant financial counselor before you elect to change your insurance coverage, and whenever you are notified about changes in your coverage.

Here are some other ways our staff can assist you:

• Prior to your evaluation for a pancreas transplant, a financial counselor will verify your existing insurance coverage for a pancreas transplant at Rush. Based on data you provide, the financial counselor will explain the benefits that are available for all transplant services you will require. Insurance companies do not cover expenses such as transportation to the hospital for the transplant, housing for family members who accompany you during the transplant admission, loss of income during hospitalization and recuperation, and other non-medical expenses. Because financial coverage and payment is ultimately your responsibility, you are encouraged to independently verify the information you receive from your Rush financial counselor through your insurance company.
  
  
• Throughout your transplant at Rush, the financial counselor will be available to meet with you and your family to answer questions about insurance coverage, billing and other financial issues. In some cases, the financial counselor will help by contacting third-party payers for information, or by identifying alternative sources of financial coverage. Other members of the Rush transplant team may also assist you. For example, you will be assigned a transplant social worker who can help you complete financial applications, help with travel and housing arrangements, and identify community resources offering various free and low-cost services.
  
  
• You also may choose to attend an outpatient transplant resource support group, run by our social worker, financial counselor and clinical nurse coordinator. Support group meetings offer opportunities for you to meet other patients and discuss common concerns related to finances and other issues.
  
  
• Following this initial meeting, we ask that you return home to discuss the decision to undergo a transplant with your family and personal physician. If your family or physician have questions, they are welcome to call the transplant office. Many times, questions can be handled over the phone. However, if you believe another appointment would be helpful, one will be arranged. We can also arrange for you to speak with a patient who has undergone a transplant, allowing you to get an insider's view.
  

The decision to seek an organ transplant is an important one, so we want to ensure that you and your family are satisfied that your questions have been fully answered.