Eligibility Requirements


Daughter having fun with her father

How ITF Helps

Patients needing an organ transplant must meet certain medical criteria and provide proof of long-term access to post-transplant medications needed to preserve the transplanted organ and the patient’s life.  These vital medications and necessary follow-up medical care are only available through full health insurance coverage.

For patients unable to pay their health insurance premiums, this means they may never be listed to receive a transplant. Some kidney patients are eligible for financial support while on dialysis, but that support ends when patients no longer require dialysis.

For eligible patients, ITF assistance covers 100% of the monthly health insurance premium for the insurance plan selected by the patient. After three years, ITF works with each transplant recipient family to transition the responsibility for their insurance needs to the patient by reducing ITF support gradually, unless a patient remains unable to contribute due to financial hardship. To date, no patient has been removed from ITF support who could not afford his/her own insurance.

Eligibility Requirements

ITF reviews applications on a “first-come, first-served” basis. Assistance is subject to the availability of ITF funds. To be eligible for ITF funding, applicants must meet the following requirements.

ITF mark
Requirement #1

Transplant Center Approval

Requirement #2

Residency

Requirement #3

Demonstrate Financial Need

Requirement #4

Annual
Re-Certification

Demonstrate transplant eligibility at a Medicare-approved transplant center in Illinois through one of the following criteria:

  • Placed on the transplant center organ transplant waiting list;
  • Received a transplant within the last 12 months of application; or
  • Be in the process of evaluation for transplant.

Applicants must have lived continuously in Illinois or Lake County, Indiana for a minimum of 36 months (three years) before applying to ITF for funding.

Premium assistance, if granted, will be terminated if the patient moves his or her primary residence outside of Illinois or Lake County, Indiana.

Applicants must not be eligible for any other financial insurance subsidy or government insurance program. Applicants must have a household income of less than 200% of the Federal Poverty Threshold.

All approved applicants must re-certify annually that he or she continues to meet program eligibility requirements.

How to Apply

Patients

If you are a potential candidate for an organ transplant and you are not able to pay your health insurance premiums, review the ITF requirements to determine if you might be eligible for financial support. If you believe you are eligible for ITF support, contact your dialysis center or transplant program for more information on how to apply to ITF.

Dialysis Center Staff

If you are working with a patient who meets the requirements for support from ITF, discuss the program with the patient and then refer him or her to the transplant center for help with the application process.

Transplant Program Staff

If you are working with a patient who meets the requirements for support from ITF, discuss the program with the patient to confirm eligibility, then help the patient complete the application and submit it to ITF. Along with the application, patients must submit a letter from the transplant program attesting to the patient’s eligibility. Contact us for the application and eligibility documents.