Financial toxicity in living donor liver transplantation: A call to action for financial neutrality

Abstract

After 2 decades of limited growth, living donor liver transplant (LDLT) has been increasingly accepted as a promising solution to the growing organ shortage in the US. With experience, LDLT offers superior graft and patient survival with low rates of rejection. However, not all waitlisted patients have equal access to LDLT, with financial toxicity representing a substantial barrier. Potential living liver donors face indirect, direct, and opportunity costs associated with donation as well as insurance-based discrimination and variable employer leave policies. There are multiple potential national, local, and patient-centered solutions to address some of the cost-related issues associated with living LDLT. These include standardization of employer leave policies, creation of federal and state-led tax relief programs, optimization of National Living Donor Assistance Center use, engagement of independent living donor advocates, creation of financial toolkits, and encouragement of recipient or donor-led fundraising. In this piece, members of the North American Living Liver Donation Group, a consortium of 37 LDLT programs, explore these financial challenges and discuss solutions to achieve financial neutrality, where individuals can donate free from financial constraints or gains. As a community, it is imperative that we confront factors driving financial toxicity to improve equity and access to LDLT.

Keywords: finances; financial burden; financial toxicity; liver transplantation; living donation.

Figure 1:

Pre-, Peri-, and Post-Transplant related causes of financial toxicity in living donor recipients and their donors

Figure 2:. Financial-related barriers and potential solutions to work toward financial neutrality.

Abbreviations: ILDA, independent living donor advocate; NLDAC, National Living Donor Assistance Center

Figure 3:. NALLDIG Consortium Action Items to Move Toward Financial Neutrality.

Data reflect topics derived from discussions on monthly conference calls and results of survey based on 5-point Likert Scale. Abbreviations: ILDA, independent living donor advocate; LDLT, living donor liver transplant; NLDAC, National Living Donor Assistance Center.