Financial assistance before and after transplant

If you're preparing to have a transplant using an unrelated donor, our pre-transplant grant helps you cover expenses—like copays, food and gas.

We also offer a grant for patients who have HLA typing through NMDP HLA Today but haven't been seen at a transplant center.

You'll likely have many out-of-pocket expenses after BMT.

You may be able to get our post-transplant grant to help you pay for out-of-pocket expenses if you had a transplant in the last three years and had a donor who isn't related to you.

GVHD is a common side effect after an allogenic transplant (BMT using cells from a donor).

Our GVHD grant helps you with ongoing out-of-pocket chronic GVHD treatment costs.

Some patients enroll in a clinical trial to treat a blood cancer or blood disorder.

The grant helps you pay for costs if you must travel within the United States to participate in the clinical trial.

Sometimes people have an unexpected major expense that could prevent them from having a transplant or impact their recovery after a transplant.

We offer a limited number of grants to help patients overcome these issues.

If you have sickle cell disease and are preparing for transplant, this grant provides up to $10,000 to cover expenses related to fertility preservation, such as egg retrieval and freezing, semen analysis and freezing, storage fees and medicines.

Before a BMT, it's important to think about your finances and the costs you might have. You can be better prepared by planning early, learning about your income and expenses and understanding what resources are available to help you.

Transplant can have many out-of-pocket costs that you must pay on your own, like:

• Copays for medicine and doctor's visits
• Travel to and from the transplant center
• Temporary housing near the transplant center

If you need an allogeneic transplant, your doctor may search the NMDP Registry to find a donor who is not related to you. The cost depends on many factors, like your health insurance coverage and how many donors need to be tested.

Your transplant center's financial coordinator is a good resource to help you understand what your costs might be. An NMDP patient navigator can also help.

Fundraising

Some people consider fundraising to help pay for extra costs. It's also a way for family, friends and coworkers to help you. However, if you decide to fundraise, it's important to learn about the rules first. Fundraising rules can affect your taxes, Medicaid or Social Security benefits.

Every health insurance plan is different, so it's important to understand your insurance. Even if your plan pays for transplant, it might not cover everything. You'll likely have copays for medicines and appointments, too.

What your plan covers can vary depending on where you get your care. Knowing what your insurance will and won't cover will help prevent any surprises later down the road.

The financial coordinator at your transplant center can help explain what your insurance will pay and what you can expect to pay. If you're not sure what to ask, an NMDP patient navigator can give you tips to help you start the conversation.

After your transplant, you'll likely continue to have out-of-pocket costs for things like:

• Medications and doctor appointments: Most people take many different medications after transplant. How much insurance covers can vary widely, and you may have a copay. You'll also have many follow-up visits with your health care team.
• Temporary housing: If you don't live near your transplant center, you may need to stay nearby for weeks or months after your transplant.
• Travel: After you get home, you may need to go back to the hospital or clinic for appointments. Travel expenses can add up, especially if the hospital or clinic aren't nearby. Also consider costs like gas, food and parking.

You may need to plan to have a one-income household for a while. That's because you might not be able to return to work as quickly as you'd like or be able to return to the type of work you were doing before. You may need to rely on your partner or a family member's income while you recover.

Consider talking to a financial planner to help you assess your finances and suggest options for saving money.