Vermonters, Support Financial Assistance for Living Donors
Email your lawmakersWe know that living organ donors save lives and as such, we must support donors throughout the donation process. An organ donor's medical costs are usually covered by the recipient's insurance, but insurance does not cover additional costs like transportation, lost wages or lodging. House Bill 83 (H.83) will help donors by creating a tax credit of up to $10,000 for costs associated with their donation.
Vermont resident Kim Moulton saw the need for H.83 when she received her kidney transplant and her donor applied for financial assistance to offset lost wages and travel costs but was denied assistance because of Kim's income. "The programs all say I made too much money, but my husband and I have health issues that drained our finances. We tried to provide what we could to help with the costs of donation – it wasn't enough, but it is all we had," said Kim of her experience.
Click here to email your elected officials and ask them to show their support for the kidney community and donors by voting for H.83 by Rep. Daniel Noyes.
Tens of thousands of people are on the national kidney transplant waiting list right now and 13 die every day waiting for a kidney. If passed, H.83 would be a step toward overcoming barriers to organ donation and helping people become donors.
Do you know other kidney advocates in Vermont? Please share this message with them!
Thank you,
Ari Holland-Baldwin
Associate Director of State Policy and Advocacy