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Financial Considerations

The cost of an LVAD or heart transplant is significant, but similar to the cost of being in the hospital repeatedly for heart failure. Medicare and most insurance companies cover these therapies. If a heart transplant is recommended to you, you will meet with our financial coordinator, who will work with you and your insurance plan to finance your care. Patient Financial Responsibilities While Medicare and insurance covers the majority of the cost for an LVAD or heart transplant, patients do have financial responsibility for the following items:

  • Yearly insurance deductibles
  • Insurance member responsibility for office visits, ER visits, and hospital stays
  • Insurance member responsibility for medication
  • Monthly sterile dressing supply kits (LVAD patients)
  • Replacement batteries and equipment (LVAD patients)

Please be aware that you will receive separate bills and statements from the hospital, physicians, the Heart Failure clinic, and your own insurance. Our financial coordinator can help you understand your bills and personal financial responsibility.

​Financial Resources

  • National Transplant Assistance Fund: Provides emergency one-time grants for patients that have had a transplant.
  • Social Security: Financial assistance for patients who will be disabled for at least a year and have enough “work credits.” SSI and SSDI.
  • Cameron Siemers Foundation for Hope: Provides $5000 grant if you are between the ages of 18-28 and have been diagnosed with a life threatening illness, to be used in the fulfillment of a dream, goal, or project that you take on to make a difference.

Medication Assistance

  • Rx Outreach: Provides deeply discounted mail order medications; 90 and 180 day supplies for many medications.
  • Rx Assist: Quick and easy-to-use database of all medication patient assistance programs. If you have trouble paying for a medication, then you can do a quick search to find out if there might be an assistance program to help.