Does Medicare Pay For Liver Transplants

What If I Dont Qualify For A Transplant And Need Dialysis

Medicare will also help cover medical costs for dialysis. Medicare Part A will cover the cost for dialysis treatments when in the hospital. Medicare Part B, on the other hand, will cover a variety of services related to dialysis, except for transportation. These services include:

• Dialysis treatments for outpatients, but only in Medicare-approved facilities
• Self-dialysis training
• Specific home support services
• Inpatient and outpatient doctor services
• Most medications that are injectable, along with their oral forms, but only for outpatient and home dialysis
• Other services or supplies related to treatment
• Dialysis treatment within a Medicare-approved facility when traveling in the U.S.

What Is Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is an infectious liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus. The hepatitis A virus is present in the fecal matter and blood of infected people, and it is most often spread through contaminated food and water. However, hepatitis A can also be spread through sexual activity and sharing needles.

Despite being highly contagious, hepatitis A is rarely serious and usually goes away on its own. Symptoms of hepatitis A can show up anywhere from 15 to 50 days after you contract the virus and are usually mild.

Symptoms of hepatitis A could include:

• Yellowing of the eyes and skin
• Dark urine
• Loss of appetite or unexplained weight loss
• Fatigue

Some people who contract the hepatitis A virus do not experience any symptoms. Children are especially unlikely to show signs of being infected. There is no treatment for hepatitis A, but symptoms can be managed with rest, a healthy diet, and plenty of water.

What Vaccines Are Covered By Medicare

Vaccinations are one of the best forms of prevention for a variety of diseases. When a harmful bacteria or virus, also known as a pathogen, gets into the body, it can hide itself from your immune system and replicate. If your immune system is not able to fight off a pathogen fast enough, it can overwhelm your body and cause severe side effects and serious illness.

Vaccinations help to prevent this by exposing the body to a weakened or killed version of a pathogen so that the body can recognize it and create antibodies to fight it. Then, if the body is ever exposed to the pathogen, it can recognize and destroy it before it can cause any serious issues. Medicare insurance covers a number of different vaccinations, allowing you to better protect yourself from unwanted diseases and illnesses.

How Do Vaccinations Work?Vaccines provide a form of primary prevention against a variety of diseases. Your immune system consists of many different types of cells that all help to destroy unwanted bacteria, fungi, and viruses to prevent you from getting sick.

The most problematic pathogens are those that are new to the body. Every time your body gets exposed to new pathogen, it creates antibodies that can recognize and bind to the bacteria or virus to mark it for destruction and prevent it from replicating. These antibodies are then stored within the body so that you can quickly fight off the pathogen if you are exposed to it again.

Related articles:

Don’t Miss: Does Medicare Pay For Hearing Aids

What Are Your Costs For Transplants Under Medicare

You are responsible for certain costs coinsurance, deductibles and certain facility fees associated with your transplant in addition to what Medicare covers.

Your Transplant Costs Under Medicare

• 20 percent of the Medicare-approved amount for immunosuppressive drugs
• 20 percent of the Medicare-approved amount for your doctors services
• Various costs for transplant facility charges
• Your Medicare Part B deductible

You pay nothing out-of-pocket to the living donor for a kidney transplant and nothing for any Medicare-certified laboratory tests.

While most transplants have to be performed in a Medicare-approved transplant facility to be covered by Medicare, stem cell and corneal transplants can be performed in nontransplant facilities.

Who Is Eligible For The Indefinite Coverage

Anyone who meets the following criteria are eligible for indefinite coverage of their transplant immunosuppressive medications under Medicare Part B:

• Received a kidney transplant from a Medicare-approved facility.
• Was eligible for Medicare at the time of their transplant and applied for Medicare prior to the transplant . It does not matter if Medicare was the primary or secondary payer to other insurance.
• Does not have Medicaid.
• Does not have other public or private health insurance with an immunosuppressive benefit.

Public insurance includes Medicaid, Department of Veterans Affairs coverage, or TRICARE . Private insurance examples include a group health plan , employer-based plan, coverage under the Affordable Care Act, or individual health insurance plan.

Also Check: Does Medicare Cover Wound Care

Medicare Coverage For The Recipient

In order to receive coverage from Medicare for an organ transplant, you need to have the transplant surgery in a Medicare-approved hospital. Medicare will then partially cover any transplants regarding the heart, lung, kidney, pancreas, liver, bone marrow, intestines, and cornea. Medicare Part A will kick in and cover the costs for the transplant itself, but youll be expected to pay the deductible for Part A. Medicare Part B will cover any immunosuppressive medications youll need for the transplant, but you will be expected to pay the Part B deductible, coinsurance, and copayments. Medicare Advantage plans do offer the same benefits as Medicare Parts A and B, but depending on which plan you use, there can be different additional benefits.

When you enroll in Original Medicare, you have the option to also enroll for Medicare Supplement plans. The Medicare Supplement plans will help cover any costs that Original Medicare Parts A and B did not cover. However, unless you are already enrolled in Medicare Supplement Plan C or F, you wont receive any coverage for Medicare Part Bs deductible. If you are currently not enrolled in Plans C or F, but were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020, you do have the opportunity to enroll for those plans, but be aware that some insurance companies have moved away from offering them.

Medicare Coverage For Heart Transplants

Suppose you meet the medical requirements for heart transplant surgery. In that case, Medicare may cover some of the costs for tests and procedures related to the surgery.

This includes the deductible, copayments, and/or coinsurance amounts that you may have to pay. Under certain conditions, Part B generally covers immunosuppressive drugs after a heart transplant surgery.

Medicare Part B may pay for a comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation program after a heart transplant. However, you may need to pay a copayment or coinsurance amount.

Medicare generally covers the cost of any medically necessary counseling and support services your doctor recommends.

This can include smoking cessation therapy, as long as they are given by an approved provider.

Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage will usually cover the medications you need for your heart transplant surgery.

You May Like: What Is Medicare Part A And B

What About Medicare Part D

Original Medicare only covers prescription medications in extremely limited circumstances such as a liver transplant. Even then, Part B will not help pay for all of the medications you’ll require before and after your surgery. For that, you need Part D.

Medicare Part D provides prescription drug coverage. You have two options: a standalone Part D prescription drug plan or a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plan .

Your Medicare Part D plan should cover any transplant drugs not included with Medicare Part B. This is true even if Medicare did not pay for your liver transplant.

If your Medicare eligibility is due to end-stage renal disease , you’re eligible to join a Medicare Part D plan even if you aren’t yet 65. However, unless you turn 65 in the interim, your Medicare coverage will end 36 months after you receive a kidney transplant.

There is no time limit to your coverage if you are under 65 and qualified for Medicare due to a disability and were diagnosed with ESRD at a later date.

Who May Qualify For A Liver Transplant

Never will a race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender, or sexual orientation have any part in deciding if a patient is a transplant candidate. Liver transplant is major surgery hence, a patient should meet certain criteria that include:

• A patients quality of life may be improved with a liver transplant.
• The patient should not have other diseases that cannot be treated or are not too sick to likely survive the transplant surgery.
• All other medical or surgical treatment options either have not worked or are not a good choice for the patient.
• The patient and support systems understand and accept the risks of having a liver transplant.
• The patients support systems are fully committed to and compliant with what is needed before and after the transplant to make the transplant a success. This would include access to funding for the transplant procedure, post-transplant medicines, and other healthcare costs. The social worker and patient financial liaison may be able to help find other ways to pay for their care.

Indications for liver transplantation are as follows:

Also Check: What Is The Best Medicare Advantage Plan In Arizona

How Much Will My Liver Transplant Cost

Transplants that are performed at Medicare-certified facilities are covered under Medicare Part A, and doctors services related to transplants are covered under Medicare Part B.

If you have Original Medicare alone, you must pay 20 percent of the Medicare-approved amount for the doctor’s services associated with the transplant.

• If you have not yet met your full deductible for Medicare Part A , you must pay that amount before Medicare will cover your hospital charges.

• The Medicare Part B deductible also applies, so you will also be responsible for paying that before Medicare will begin paying benefits for doctor services.

Along with the charges listed above, you will likely have to pay various amounts for transplant facility charges. Medicare covers all Medicare-certified laboratory tests.

Some Medicare Part D prescription drug plans may help cover the costs for liver transplant drugs .

You can compare Part D plans available where you live and enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan online in as little as 10 minutes when you visit MyRxPlans.com.1

Private Insurance Vaccine Coverage

All Health Insurance Marketplaceexternal icon plans and most other private insurance plans must cover the following list of vaccines without charging a copayment or coinsurance when provided by an in-network provider. This is true even for patients who have not met a yearly deductible. Doses, recommended ages, and recommended populations for these vaccines vary:

A new recommendation for serogroup B meningococcal vaccination of those age 16 through 23 years was published in the MMWR dated October 23, 2015. Health plans are required to cover new vaccine recommendations without cost-sharing in the next plan year that occurs one year after this date. Patients should check with their insurance provider for details on whether there is any cost to them for this vaccine.

• Hepatitis A
• Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis
• Varicella

Check with your patients insurance provider for details of coverage. Under the Affordable Care Act, insurance plans that cover children now allow parents to add or keep adult children on their health insurance policy until they turn 26 years old.

Recommended Reading: How Do I Find Out My Medicare Card Number

What Else To Know

• Transplants must be performed in Medicare-approved transplant centers. Stem cell and cornea transplants can be done outside of Medicare-approved hospitals, however.

• Medicare may consider a transplant as a hospital inpatient service under Part A. If this is the case, Medicare will then cover immunosuppressive drugs so long as the transplant was covered either by Medicare, or an employer or union group health plan needed to provide coverage before Medicare paid for the transplant. Part A is required at the time of the covered transplant, and Part B is required when immunosuppressive drugs are needed.

• Patients must pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for prescription drugs. The Part B deductible also applies. Medicare Part D, which is Medicares prescription drug coverage, will cover immunosuppressive drugs if Part B doesnt.

• Before joining a Medicare Advantage Plan, those on a transplant waiting list should always do their research on the desired insurance plan. Patients should ensure their doctors, hospitals, and other healthcare providers and settings are within the insurance plans network. They should also review the plans coverage rules for prior authorization.

Cobra Extended Employer Group Coverage

If you are insured by an employer group health plan and you must leave your job or reduce your work hours, you may qualify for extended coverage through COBRA . This federal law requires certain group health plans to extend coverage for 18 to 36 months after benefits end. This requirement is limited to companies employing 20 or more people. You pay the full cost of the premiums for the group health plan. Learn more by contacting your employers benefits office or visit the federal Department of Labor Web site >

You May Like: Will Medicare Pay For A Bedside Commode

How Much Does Medicare Pay For Organ Transplants

Between doctors visits, laboratory testing, surgery, and more, organ transplantation is quite expensive.

According to a 2020 research report of transplant costs in the United States, the average costs for organ transplants include:

• $1,664,800 for a heart transplant
• $1,295,900 for a double lung transplant or $929,600 for a single lung transplant
• $1,240,700 for an intestine transplant
• $878,400 for a liver transplant
• $442,500 for a kidney transplant
• $408,800 for a pancreas transplant

Medicare pays for most services and costs associated with Medicare-approved organ transplants. Services include:

• pretransplant services
• follow-up services
• immunosuppressant and other necessary prescription drugs, in some cases

Medicare also pays for all costs related to finding a donated organ and all medical care for the organ donor, such as doctors visits, surgery, and other necessary medical services.

While Medicare covers almost all organ transplantation costs, youll still owe out-of-pocket costs for your services.

How Medicare Vaccine Coverage Works

Medicare, the federal health insurance program primarily for elderly Americans, comes in four parts. Medicare Part A covers inpatient medical expenses Medicare Part B covers outpatient medical expenses. Together, they comprise Original Medicare. Medicare Part C, also known as Medicare Advantage, is a private alternative to Original Medicare. Medicare Part D is prescription drug coverage for Original Medicare beneficiaries.

To get a vaccination that isnât covered by Medicare Part B, Medicare beneficiaries rely on their Medicare Part D plan or a Medicare Part C plan that comes with prescription drug coverage. These plans are known as Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plans .

Learn more about Medicare Part C Medicaid Advantage.

All Medicare prescription drug plans must cover commercially available vaccines when reasonable and medically necessary to prevent illness, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. However, specific rules for administration of and payment for the immunization varies across plans, as do the copay, coinsurance, premiums or deductibles.

Vaccinations most commonly covered by Medicare prescription drug plans include:

• Shingles vaccine

• Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B vaccines for low-risk beneficiaries

• Certain self-administered insulin shots

Read Also: Is Medicare A Social Security Benefit

Does Medicare Cover Transplants

Original Medicare covers some of the costs associated with getting a transplant. However, it is imperative transplant patients check with their insurance company to ensure specific doctors and hospitals are within the plan network.

To understand what Original Medicare pays when it comes to transplants, first it is important to discuss the various parts of Medicare. Original Medicare is comprised of Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B. Both of these parts help cover the costs of certain health care services.

Medicare Part A is Medicares hospital insurance, meaning it covers in-patient health care. Coverage includes:

• Services for organ transplants

• Intestine transplant

• Liver transplant

Do note, an organ transplant must be done via Medicare-approved transplant programs. Organ transplant programs must be within a hospital that is contracted through Medicare.

Note: Learn more about organ transplants at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services official website.

Vaccine Coverage Through Medicare Part D

Generally, Medicare prescription drug coverage covers all commercially available vaccines needed to prevent illness. To be safe, you should always check with your plans Member Services team first if youre thinking about getting a specific vaccine.

You can get Part D coverage through a stand-alone prescription drug plan, or through a Medicare health plan like Medicare Advantage. If you dont have prescription drug coverage, you might have to pay full price for the other vaccines you need or want.

Recommended Reading: How To Check For Hepatitis C

Don’t Miss: When Can I Enroll In A Medicare Supplement Plan

When Will I Be Able To Get The Extended Immunosuppressive Coverage

Coverage will become effective on January 1, 2023. The Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will develop an enrollment program prior to this date. We will provide updates as they become available.

We recognize the immediate need for access to medications for many patients whose coverage will expire before January 2023. We will continue to work with pharmaceutical companies, state assistance programs and others to prevent gaps in coverage. If you are having trouble affording your medications, contact our NKF Cares Helpline for assistance: 855.653.2273 or .

Which Vaccines Do Medicare Advantage Plans Cover

Medicare Advantage plans, sometimes referred to as Part C plans, are offered by private insurers for a set monthly premium. These plans bundle Part A and Part B insurance and usually Part D coverage.

Medicare Advantage plans must cover certain vaccines with no copay when given by a healthcare provider who accepts your insurance. The vaccines usually covered are:

• Hepatitis A and B

• Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis

• Varicella

Check with your insurance provider for specific plan details. Avoiding these preventative vaccines can have serious health consequences. Since you can easily get vaccines at your providers office or the pharmacy, making them a priority is worthwhile.

During the lockdown, routine vaccines have dipped substantially. Its important to catch up on immunizations that were missed, Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, tells GoodRx.

Read Also: How To Decide Between Medigap And Medicare Advantage