The most living donor procedures performed in the world

Financial Information for Prospective Living Donors

Living donors give of themselves in a unique way. They cannot be paid for the donation, but some costs associated with living donation are covered while others are not. It is important that you understand what is and is not paid for as you make your decision to become a donor. When you’re evaluated at The Transplant Center, we review all of the financial aspects of donation. More detailed financial materials are included in the donor educational packet we hand out when we begin the donor evaluation.

University of Minnesota Medical Center is a federally-certified transplant facility. The government requires all certified transplant centers to charge a recipient’s insurance a flat fee (called an acquisition fee) when he or she receives a transplant. The medical costs related to the donor's evaluation and transplant procedure are covered by The Transplant Center’s acquisition fee.

All donors receive a set of standards, tests, services and procedures called the “donor protocol” that is completely covered by the fee. Anything that falls outside of this protocol is not covered (i.e., annual physicals, routine recommended tests for age group, etc.). Costs such as travel, lodging, lost-wages (non-federal employees), and other non-medical expenses are also not covered. However, there are specific donor resources available to help defray some of these related expenses, and we assist eligible people to access additional help.

Our Accommodations Department can provide you with information about places to stay near the hospital. The travel resource list in the donor educational packet describes a choice of programs available to transplant patients and their families.

Many times donor families are facing stressful situations, so we work with you to anticipate and manage the financial burdens related to donation. Because we understand each donor has unique circumstances at the time of donation, our staff takes a personal approach to fully inform and help donors with all financial and related issues.