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Avatar universal

Liver Transplants

Greedy insurance companies and greedy hospitals and doctors are selling bad livers to not so sick Americans!  A liver transplant costs $500,000 and then the post op medicine is around $5000 or more a month.  Wall street investors don't want their investments in insurance companies to quit making great profits, so co=pays are increasing, and policy cancellations are normal business practice now in America.  When I voiced my concern that the costs were not sustainable by me, a now not working registered nurse who got Hep C in the hospitals I was working, and that I didn't think I could afford it; I was told by the transplant coordinator at this Midwestern University hospital to "Suck it up!"
I am worth more as a healthy specimen for liver transplant than I am as a person who can support myself and buy food.  
Rest in your apathy for as long as you can because one thing I learned being a nurse, money won't prevent you from getting sick and dying one day.  Illness is the great equalizer, and what goes around...........
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Avatar universal
I do not doubt that greed and politics are involved when human transplant organs are needed. In some poor countries, homeless people are having their organs removed and sold to the highest bidder. I read where persons or family members donating a portion, or lobe,  of their liver to a loved one. I do not know the details for transplanted livers, but if a  lobe of a liver is transplanted, I believe the liver may regenerate and enlarge within the body. You appear to know about this field more than I. I hope you can receive a donated liver to keep your life going for years to come.

Harrald
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I never spent 5,000 per month for medications - ever - not even immediately post transplant.
I am 10+ years out from my liver transplant (underlying disease was Hep C) and I would estimate my medications cost $40 per month. I get my main immunosuppressive free right now (Prograf has a program going on currently but I don't know how long it will last) but if I paid the co-pay for it I would be paying $70 more for a total of $110 per month.
That isn't cheap but it's certainly not $5,000 per month. I have been on my current doses for at least 6 years.
Immediately post transplant the doses are bigger and there are additional drugs perhaps - such as steroids in some cases, antibiotics and nystatin. There may be a few others in certain cases but hopefully the amount of drugs and the doses will be reduced in a few months. My point is that there are costs associated with post liver transplant care but I have never incurred the amount of costs that you suggested.

Mike
Helpful - 0
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