Living persons considering donating a kidney or portion of a liver, either to a relative, friend or stranger, may qualify for an optional safety net of financial protection for any complications or death arising from their surgery.
The American Foundation for Donation & Transplantation (AFDT), an association of transplant related professional organizations and one of the oldest transplant groups in the country, maintains and operates the Living Organ Donor Network (LODN).
With the availability of LODN, information regarding living kidney donors was, for the first time, placed in a common data base so medical professionals could collect the demographic and medical characteristics of these individuals.
Available as an option, donors can be provided with a safety net of protection in the form of life, disability and medical insurance for complications which might arise from being a living related or unrelated kidney or liver donor. The insurance is optional for transplant centers that participate in the program as well as for individuals that may wish to benefit from this protection.
Approximately 100,000 people across the United States have lost the function of their kidneys and/or liver, and are awaiting transplants. "The gift of an organ from a living person is a truly selfless act," says Thomas McCune, M.D., a transplant physician from Norfolk who is a Past President of AFDT. "It behooves the medical and transplant community to make sure they are given the finest health care and that they or their families do not suffer financially as a result of their generosity. In addition, we need to encourage more persons to donate organs and LODN will hopefully ease their decision."
AFDT secured coverage for LODN through AIG Insurance which underwrote the coverage for donors in the National Bone Marrow Donor Program upon which LODN is modeled. There is a one time fee of $550 per kidney donor and $750 per liver donor for the optional insurance protection. Call the contact below for additional information.
For information on how centers can participate or how donors can enroll, contact Arlene Skinner at AFDT by phone at 804-323-9893 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
