Testing for out of state donor

[Karol]

Questions for any of you who donated to someone in another state.
How was your first blood test handled? Were you asked to go to a local lab?
Thanks,
Karol

[Jewels]

I live in Seattle and donated in Detroit.  The transplant center sent me a package with the lab orders, vials for the blood and all the supplies to ship it back fed-ex to them.  They also included instructions on how to bill them directly.  It was quite easy and I had the results that I was an initial match about 10 days later.  I did all my testing locally and did not meet the transplant team, except for phone calls, until 5 days before surgery when I flew to Detroit.

Happy to answer any long distance donation questions!
Julie

[Karol]

Thank you Julie. 

[elephant]

Dear Karol,

My recipient was not out of state, but our transplant center was.   They overnighted a package with everything needed to complete the first test.  I had the blood drawn at our local hospital and they returned it for me the next day.

[sherri]

Karol,

I also did my blood draws out of state from where my recipient was initially evaluated.They send the kit, very self explanatory, with a return label for Fed Ex. I actually had someone at work draw it for me, spin it and then I packaged and sent it. But as others said they can give payment information and scrip for all the blood work and the blood lab can bill the center.

Good luck to you and Jenna,

Sherri

[Karol]

Thanks.

[donor99]

I have worked with many out of state donors and if they are a match the center can get a grant from the living donor assistance fund that will pay for transportation, lodging and meals for the work up and return for surgery.. I've never had a donor denied. Its a great program.
Pat

[Karol]

I believe that the living donor assistance fund is based on the income of the recipient, so we would not qualify.
Jenna spoke with the living donor coordinator. She said they tell donors that are out of state to go get the labs done (these are general labs to check on health of person) and have them bill the donor BUT DO NOT PAY IT. The bill is to be sent by the donor to Jenna's hospital and they will pay it. - But it occurred to me that some labs require payment at the time of service and this may be the donor's dilemma. Coordinator said to have the donor call her and she will help find a way to get it done.
This hospital doesn't do a crossmatch right away because Jenna has such high antibodies that she is unlikely to match anyone, but with desensitization and/or a swap she may get a transplant from one of these donors.

[donor99]

I used to think the same thing, but unless the recipient is a millionaire. I've gotten grants for donors without a problem its worth a try. I had a recipient that made 175,000 a year and the donor made 75,000 and I got a grant. Its woth a try.

[Karol]

Thanks. Jenna doesn't have a donor yet so we are just trying to get a potential donor through the initial labs, without cost to her.
I looked at the NATIONAL LIVING DONOR ASSISTANCE CENTER and there's an eligibility screening tool which may come in handy later. http://www.livingdonorassistance.org/documents/Eligibility%20Screening%20Tool_2012.pdf

[Rob_h]

Hi Karlo,

Thats great news.  I donated out of state (RI, I live in NH). The RI Hospital had me do some lab testing here in NH (and paid for it). Then some was done in RI and some in NH over quite a while. best wishes, Rob

[mintx]

I will be donating in MI and I am in TX.  I did not incur any costs until I went to meet with the team in Detroit.  At that point it was a flight, hotel etc.  I did have a bit of a challenge with the billing initially however, eventually we got it sorted out with the coordinator and the labs in TX.

[140jmr]

I'm also in the process of donating at an out of state hospital.  They have overnighted everything to me through FedEx.  I just take the package to my local lab and have my blood drawn.  They also did this for all my urine testing.  I just got all my results today and passed everything! They told me that I do now have to go there to meet the surgeon and have a chest x-ray.  It has been a very easy process so far.  Good Luck

[tjhurley]

When I took the mailed lab package to my doctor's lab tech, she said she needed orders to draw the blood.  The transplant center had not included orders for the draw. My doctor wasn't there so it was a bit of a delay to get orders faxed.

The second time the tech on a duty at the lab was a friend and she just did the blood draw without orders.  But she did point out that they should be sending orders with the kits. I would imagine this could vary from state to state.  Janet

[Karol]

Thanks for the replies. I let this person know to contact the transplant hospital but have heard nothing since then.