Health insurance considerations for adolescent transplant recipients as they transition to adulthood

The advent of improved immunosuppression and enhanced allograft outcomes has resulted in a growing number of patients taking expensive immunosuppression medications for the rest of their lives. Healthcare costs for the majority of transplantation procedures in the USA currently are covered by Medicare, but coverage ends for outpatient immunosuppression medications 36-44 months after transplantation. Two or three immunosuppressive agents typically are included in post-transplant regimens with a total annual cost that can exceed $13 000. This represents a significant financial burden for families no matter if they have adequate health insurance coverage because of co-payment obligations. Evidence suggests that some patients have reduced immunosuppression doses because of an inability to afford their medication, increasing the risk of graft failure. The purpose of this article was to review these and other issues pertaining to medical insurance coverage and transplantation, particularly for adolescent recipients as they transition to adulthood.