Impact of Insurance Status on Outcomes After Kidney Transplant Among Out-of-state Recipients

Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) who wish to get a kidney transplant must have adequate insurance in order to be considered suitable candidates. States are not required to accept patients with out-of-state Medicaid coverage and are free to impose restrictions on coverage (Ehlers, 2002; Preussler, Farnia, Denzen, & Majhail, 2014). This study sought to determine, among out-of-state recipients who received kidney transplants at Saint Barnabas Medical Center between 2010 and 2014, the impact of having Medicaid as a secondary insurance provider. We also examined the relationship between patient outcomes and psychosocial variables. Patients with Medicaid as a secondary insurance plan had similar one-year allograft survival and similar rates of readmissions compared to patients with other insurance types.