Dive Brief:
- UnitedHealthcare plans to begin paying for kidney donors' travel expenses in an effort to increase donation rates since the numbers began stalling in 2008, the Star Tribune reported.
- While kidneys from living donors are more ideal than those from deceased donors, the cost of traveling often creates a financial barrier for would-be donors.
- Beginning in 2017, UnitedHealthcare will cover travel and lodging up to a maximum of $5,000 for anyone donating a kidney to a UnitedHealthcare member enrolled in any of the company's “fully insured” products.
Dive Insight:
The announcement dovetails with news the Obama administration is working to reduce the nation's organ waiting list, on which the vast majority -- 100,000 of 120,000 individuals -- are in need of a kidney.
Proponents of the program suggested it's win-win for both patients and insurers, because the cost of a transplant plus follow-up care and travel can be expected to beat ongoing dialysis expenses.
That makes it both financially prudent and "the right thing to do for a patient," Dr. James Allan of the American Society of Transplantation told the Star Tribune. “So, it’s one of these special occasions where the cost-effective thing is actually medically the best thing, and ethically the best thing,” he said.
UnitedHealthcare's program will cover travel and lodging expenses beginning with the donor's medical evaluation through a two-year period following the procedure, and can also be applied to costs for a traveling companion.
Dr. Jon Friedman of UnitedHealth's Optum division said the company's enrollee population currently sees about 75 living donor transplants per year, and that the company hopes to see that increase by eight to 15 next year. He told the Tribune if the program is successful, UnitedHealth may expand it to its other customer groups and that it hopes other insurers will follow their lead.