Do You Cover Bone Marrow Donors

Issue: An employee comes to your office to ask about health-care benefits for a bone marrow transplant. While this is a rare inquiry, it is even more unique because this employee is not the bone marrow recipient, but the donor. She wants to know if the expenses of her donor procedure are covered by your medical plan. Your place of business and the employee are located in Florida.

Answer: A number of states require that health-care plans cover the expenses of bone marrow transplants as a cancer treatment, Florida included. However, effective January 1, 2000, covered bone marrow transplant procedures in Florida must include costs associated with the donor-patient to the same extent and limitations as costs associated with the insured. The reasonable costs of searching for the donor may be limited to immediate family members and the National Bone Marrow Donor Program.

Other states addressing coverage for bone marrow transplant expenses are Georgia, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Virginia. These seven states do not address the donor’s expenses. Rhode Island covers the cost of donor compatibility testing.

Note that Colorado provides leave time for state employees who are bone marrow donors. A new federal law (PL 106-56) provides similar leave for federal employees.

Cite: Florida Statutes, Sec 627.4236(2).

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