The Wallet Biopsy: Medical Crowdfunding for Heart Transplantation

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Health Economics
• Transplantation Medicine

Background:

• Financial barriers significantly impede access to heart transplantation.
• Patients face numerous costs, including hospitalization, medications, and travel.
• Crowdfunding has emerged as a potential, albeit insufficient, support mechanism.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the landscape of crowdfunding for heart transplant candidates.
• To identify characteristics of campaigns and fundraising outcomes.
• To understand the financial toxicity associated with heart transplantation.

Main Methods:

• A review of 1000 GoFundMe campaigns using the search term "heart transplant".
• Inclusion criteria resulted in 634 campaigns for analysis.
• Campaign demographics, fundraising amounts, and patient admission status were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Most campaigns supported white, male, adult patients.
• 15% of campaigns raised no funds; others raised a median of $53.24/day.
• 44% of patients were hospitalized during fundraising; highest activity in non-Medicaid expansion states.

Conclusions:

• Crowdfunding reveals substantial financial burdens for heart transplant candidates.
• Significant disparities exist, particularly in non-Medicaid expansion states.
• Advocacy for improved governmental and payer coverage is crucial for equitable access.