What Factors Affect the Cost of a Bone Marrow Transplant?

The cost of a bone marrow transplant depends on the treatment center chosen, the length of the hospital stay, and whether the patient’s insurance company covers all or part of the operation. Other factors also affect the cost, including donor expenses that may not be covered by insurance and the number of blood transfusions needed during the lengthy recovery period. Some organizations offer financial aid to eligible patients to help offset some of the expense of this treatment.

Bone marrow transplants use stem cells from the patient’s body, genetically matched donor cells, or umbilical cord stem cells. The patient’s bone marrow is destroyed and replaced with healthy stem cells, which travel to his or her bone marrow and ideally begin producing healthy red and white blood cells and platelets. Transplants usually treat conditions like cancer, immune diseases, and hereditary blood disorders.

Determining the cost of a bone marrow transplant proves difficult because several complications might require an extended hospital stay or the need to return during the recovery period, which could take up to six months. Some patients face rejection of donor cells that might endanger the kidneys or liver. Others may experience problems with bleeding that require another hospital stay.

Infection represents another common complication after a bone marrow transplant. Immediately after surgery, the patient’s white cell count is typically very low, hindering the body’s ability to fight off bacteria and viruses. Donor cells might also attack the stomach, intestines, and skin, prompting a return to the hospital for treatment and additional expense.

Fewer complications generally appear after an autologous bone marrow transplant, which means the patient’s own stem cells are used. Medical professionals harvest the cells before the patient receives chemotherapy or radiation therapy to preserve healthy ones. They are frozen and stored until needed. When a patient’s stem cells are transplanted, the odds of rejection decline and the cost of the procedure might be lower.

Some patients opt for surgery in a foreign country, which might substantially reduce the cost of a bone marrow transplant, especially for those without health insurance. Medical tourism organizations estimate patients might save up to half the cost of a transplant in Mexico or Turkey. Surgery in India represents another option explored by some cancer patients, because expenses might run a fraction of the cost in other countries.