So, you have made one of our world’s most personal sacrifices to give the gift of life to a fellow human being – you have donated one of your kidneys. One would expect gratitude, praise, maybe a medal. But in addition there is something unsettling that may come to visit – huge health care bills. The problem: in today’s health care landscape, your donation turns your missing kidney into a pre-existing condition:

Organ donors hit with shocking bills

Philip Knisely, 53, of Austin, Texas, who donated a kidney to a co-worker a year ago, has received more than $18,000 in related medical bills, and said he was not informed that if he ever lost his employment-related insurance, insurers might consider his having a single kidney an uninsurable pre-existing condition, the American-Stateman reported Sunday.

Some people flip it around though. They do not care about the cost. They donate the kidney and go one step further – they fund the donation themselves:

See also:
- How Organ Transplants Work
- How Your Kidneys Work

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