Patients Assistance Fund

Legacy Health Endowment has launched a fund of up to $125,000 to support adults recovering from kidney transplants facing costly medical bills.

Out-of-pocket costs are often staggering for these patients. Legacy Health’s programs cover qualifying patients who live in Stanislaus and Merced counties.

Chronic kidney disease affects about 15% of American adults, or about 37 million people in this country. One of the largest out-of-pocket costs associated with a kidney transplant is the ongoing cost of immunosuppressant medications needed to prevent organ rejection. The price of those anti-rejection medications can range from $500 to more than $1,000 a month.

Middle-income families who do not qualify for Medi-Cal often cover the cost at their financial peril. Our goal is simple: to help middle-income families who are not eligible for Medicare, Medi-Cal, TRICARE, CHAMPVA, or other public insurance.

With more and more families are enrolling in high-deductible health plans through their employer, many face $5,000, $7,500, or $10,000 deductibles they must pay before their insurance kicks in. This does not include the ongoing cost of medications to ensure the kidney is not rejected.