Does Medicare pay for transplant?

[frankswife]

Hi all,
Frank is now at the end of the 30 month coordination of benefits period between Medicare and my employer provided private insurance (MVP). Medicare has now become primary. Frank's transplant coordinator says she now has to go back to the Financial person on the team since MVP cleared a transplant and they are no longer primary. Is there even a chance Medicare wont pay for a transplant? Or do they always cover it? Now this lady has me nervous.

[Simon Dog]

Medicare pays for renal transplants, however, your center will probably require proof of payment of the 20% deductible (often via your private insurance in its post 30 month secondary role).  Remember, the two most important transplant criteria are tissue typing and ability to pay.

There are lots of things for a dialysis patient to be nervous about, but Medicare covering the transplant is not one of them.  Due to the waitlist, almost all cadaver donor transplants are into their medicare time when a corpus delecti is served up.  (yeah, I know I mis-used the term ... so what)