Who pays for transplant surgery and for organ and tissue donation?
Most transplants are paid for by private health insurance, Medicare or Medicaid programs. Patients can get detailed information from their physicians or health insurers. There is no cost to a donor’s family or a deceased donor’s estate. All costs of removal and preservation of the donated organs and tissue are borne by Organ Procurement Organizations and are usually passed on to the transplant center and the recipient’s insurance company. However, medical costs incurred while attempting to save the life of a potential donor are the responsibility of the donor’s insurance company or the donor’s family. Costs incurred after a person is determined to be a donor become the responsibility of the Organ Procurement Organization.
