Immigrant Issues

1. Can undocumented immigrants donate a kidney?

• Yes, the recipient's insurance covers the cost of donor surgery and recovery.
• If the recipient does not have insurance, someone will need to pay for all costs of the transplant.

 

Donors
	In the U.S., 50 of all living kidney donors in 2011 were undocumented immigrants In the U.S., 239 of all living kidney donors in 2011 were documented immigrants

(Source: OPTN data as of 3-30-12)

2. What forms of identification do transplant hospitals accept from patients?

Any one of the following is acceptable:

• Driver's license
• State ID
• Green card
• Passport
• Matricula consular (found at specific consulates)

*Social Security card is not always necessary.

 

3. What information are undocumented immigrants asked for when they are tested for donation or transplantation?

• Health information
• Health insurance information

 

4. What are the costs for an undocumented immigrant to donate a kidney?

Martha Escamilla, Social Worker

• If the recipient has health insurance, it will cover the cost of the donor surgery and recovery. In this scenario, there should not be any cost to the undocumented immigrant kidney donor (except for normal living expenses and possible travel for the surgery).
• A donor’s health problems that come up after recovery from the kidney donation might not be covered by the recipient's health insurance.
• Undocumented living donors are not eligible for Medicare if they need a kidney transplant in the future.

1. Can documented immigrants get insurance?

• Yes, documented immigrants can buy insurance or get Medicare/Medicaid.
• They are eligible for Medicare/Medicaid if:
  • They have a history of paying into Medicare.
  • Their spouse has a history of paying into Medicare.
  • They have been living in the U.S. for 5 years.
  • They are disabled under Social Security determinations.

2. Can documented immigrants get a kidney transplant?

• Yes, if they have insurance (private, Medicare or Medicaid) or can pay for the transplant and medications out-of-pocket.

Recipients
	In the U.S. overall, 137 of all kidney transplants went to undocumented immigrants in 2011 In the U.S. overall, 832 of all kidney transplants went to documented immigrants in 2011

(Source: OPTN data as of 3-30-12)

3. What are the costs for a documented immigrant to get a kidney transplant?

• Documented immigrants can buy insurance or may be able to get Medicare. This means that most of the transplant costs will be covered.
• The recipient will need insurance (private or government) to help pay costs of medicines.

1. Can documented immigrants donate a kidney?

• Yes,  the recipient's insurance, or Medicare, covers the cost of donor surgery and recovery.
• Paying for the living donation can become a problem when the recipient is undocumented or does not have insurance.

Donors
	In the U.S., 50 of all living kidney donors in 2011 were undocumented immigrants In the U.S., 239 of all living kidney donors in 2011 were documented immigrants

(Source: OPTN data as of 3-30-12)

 

2. How are the costs covered for a documented immigrant to donate a kidney?

• If the recipient has insurance, that covers the cost of donor surgery and recovery.
• If the recipient does not have insurance, someone will need to pay for all costs of the transplant, including the donor's surgery and recovery.

 

Access to Dialysis for Undocumented Immigrants
Campbell GA, Sannoff S, Rosner MH. Care of the Undocumented Immigrant in the United States with ESRD. American Journal of Kidney Disease, 2010;55(1):181-191.

Hurley L, Kempe A, Crane LA, Davidson A, Pratte K, Linas S, Dickinson LM, Berl T. Care of Undocumented Individuals with ESRD: A National Survey of US Nephrologists. American Journal of Kidney Disease, 2009;53(6):940-949.


Hispanic Documented and Undocumented Immigrants can get a Kidney Transplant
Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients. Annual Report 2010. Kidney Recipients. http://srtr.transplant.hrsa.gov/


Access to Transplant for Undocumented Immigrants
National Kidney Foundation of Illinois (NKFI). The Complete Resource Guide: Chronic Kidney Disease & the Latino Community


Costs of Transplantation
US Renal Data System, USRDS 2011 Annual Data Report: Atlas of Chronic Kidney Disease and End-Stage Renal Disease in the United States. National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD, 2011.


Definitions Citizenship:
Five Basic Facts on Immigrants and Their Health Care. The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. March 2008.