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A Personal Financial Guide to Blood Stem Cell TransplantMapping the MazeMINNEAPOLIS -- April 14, 2003
To help negotiate this seemingly perplexing territory, the National Endowment for Financial Education®, The Marrow Foundation® and the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) have collaborated to publish Mapping the Maze: A Personal Financial Guide to Blood Stem Cell Transplant. This handbook provides general information on the financial considerations associated with blood stem cell transplants, general transplant-related insurance information, information on health care coverage options, and cost assessment worksheets. "The stress of financial worries on top of medical concerns can be overwhelming to families," said Kate Montgomery, case management manager, NMDP Office of Patient Advocacy. "This financial guide gives patients a place to start to organize their questions. Mapping the Maze is an excellent resource for patients and their families in understanding the financial aspects of blood stem cell transplants." Mapping the Maze may be viewed online or ordered online on the Patient Materials page or by contacting the NMDP Office of Patient Advocacy at (888) 999-6743. The NMDP's Office of Patient Advocacy (OPA) is a valuable resource for patients and families who want information about the unrelated donor stem cell transplant process. OPA staff receive more than 400 calls a month in which they provide information on a wide range of topics and available resources; connect patients to NMDP transplant centers; and provide patient support and advocacy services. On a national level, OPA works to assist physicians with donor searches and finding resources for their patients, and to educate insurance providers regarding unrelated donor and stem cell transplant processes. OPA also strives to increase access to stem cell transplants for patients from medically underserved communities by building partnerships with other organizations. The National Endowment for Financial EducationThe National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the mission of helping individual Americans acquire the information and gain the skills necessary to take control of their financial destiny. The National Marrow Donor ProgramThe National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) is committed to its mission to extend and improve life through innovative stem cell therapies. The NMDP has facilitated more than 15,000 transplants throughout the world for patients with life-threatening diseases such as leukemia and aplastic anemia, as well as certain immune system and genetic disorders. The NMDP offers searching patients who do not have suitable family donors a single point of access for all three sources of stem cells used in transplantation: marrow, peripheral blood and umbilical cord blood. Through its extensive U.S. and international Network, the NMDP manages the largest and most diverse Registry of volunteer donors, including more than 25,000 cord blood units. Matching donors to patients is only part of the NMDP's lifesaving mission. The NMDP also conducts research aimed at increasing opportunities for and improving the outcomes of stem cell transplants. The learn more about blood stem cell transplantation and patient resources, please call (800) MARROW-2. The Marrow FoundationThe Marrow Foundation secures resources from the private sector to carry out the work of the National Marrow Donor Program. The Marrow Foundation sponsors research to improve the outcomes of stem cell transplantation, assists patients with financial needs during the donor search process, and works to increase the size and diversity of the NMDP Registry of volunteer donors. Located in Washington, D.C., The Marrow Foundation was created in 1991 by Admiral E.R. Zumwalt Jr., an early proponent of a national marrow donor registry. Media Contact:
Patrick Thompson, Sr. Media Relations Coordinator (612) 627-8182. |
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The prospect of planning and paying for a blood stem cell transplant may seem overwhelming for patients and their families - coping with what seems to be a maze of new and unfamiliar concerns.
