A bone marrow or cord blood transplant (also called a BMT) can have many costs that are not covered by insurance. These may include lost wages, co-pays for drugs and office visits, and travel and housing costs if the transplant takes place far from home. Many patients need to raise money to help cover these costs. Fundraising is one way friends and family members may be able to help.
If you are the transplant patient or primary caregiver, it is okay to ask for help. If friends, family members, co-workers or others help with fundraising, you will have more time and energy to focus on treatment and recovery.
If you want to do fundraising, think about the following tips:
- Before you begin, make sure fundraising won't cause the transplant patient to lose benefits from other programs such as Medicaid.
- Keep good records of money raised. Keep the money in a separate account from any other personal funds.
- Find out the tax laws for donated funds.
- Look into working with a fundraising organization. If you want donations to be tax deductible for donors, you must work with a tax-exempt organization.
For more information on fundraising and how to find a good organization to work with, see Mapping the Maze. Mapping the Maze is a guide to help bone marrow and cord blood transplant patients plan for the costs of transplant.
You can call Be The Match® Patient Services to learn how to work with your insurance company and find educational resources — DVDs, booklets, online tools and more. We have a team dedicated to supporting patients, caregivers, family members and friends. Our patient services coordinators offer you confidential, one-on-one support and financial guidance. Our services and resources are free. We are here for you every step of the way, from diagnosis through survivorship.
Patient services coordinators are available Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time.
- Inside the United States, call 1 (888) 999-6743. This call is toll-free.
- Outside the United States, call 1 (612) 627-8140. This call may have long-distance or international charges.
- You can also send an e-mail message to patientinfo@nmdp.org.