Page 19 - The Jewish Voice - April '24

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The Jewish Voice, Page 19

Lifestyles from page 18 This article was written by Edward Jones for use by donor option. Without it, Patty might have waited anywhere
your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor, Edward Jones, from 30 days to five years for a deceased donor’s organ.
Furthermore, contrary to many people’s expectations, Member SIPC. Livers are the second-most in-demand organ for transplants
Medicare usually pays very little of these costs. Edward Jones is a licensed insurance producer in (behind kidneys). About 10 percent of individuals on the
Of course, some people expect their family will be able all states and Washington, D.C., through Edward D. national transplant waiting list are waiting for a liver.
to manage their long-term care needs. But this may not Jones & Co., L.P., and in California, New Mexico and Receiving a donation from a living donor shortens a
be a viable strategy. For one thing, your family members Massachusetts through Edward Jones Insurance Agency patient’s wait time and lessens chances that the liver’s
simply may not have the skills needed to give you the type of California, L.L.C.; Edward Jones Insurance Agency of condition will worsen. “Living-donor liver transplant is
of care you may require. Also, by the time you might need New Mexico, L.L.C.; and Edward Jones Insurance Agency another avenue to save the lives of patients with liver
help, your grown children or other family members might of Massachusetts, L.L.C. disease in our community,” said Dr. Kiran Dhanireddy,
not live in your area. Edward Jones, its employees and financial advisors vice president and chief of the TGH Transplant Institute
So, you may need to protect yourself and your loved cannot provide tax advice. You should consult your and surgical director of the Comprehensive Liver Disease
ones from the potential costs of long-term care. Basically, qualified tax advisor regarding your situation. & Transplant Center.
you’ve got two main choices: You could self-insure or you Contact us at (561) 748-7600, Sally Sima Stahl, AAMS, With a living-donor transplantation, a healthy person
could transfer the risk by purchasing some type of long- 1851 W. Indiantown Road, Ste. 106, Jupiter, FL 33458. volunteers a portion of their liver to someone whose liver
term care insurance. is failing from end-stage disease or cancer. After doctors
If you have considerable financial resources, you Tampa General Hospital remove the donated portion, the donor’s remaining liver
might find self-insuring to be attractive, rather than regrows close to its full size and capacity in a couple of
choosing insurance and paying policy premiums. You Leads in Living-Donor Liver months. The transplanted liver also grows, restoring normal
may wish to keep an emergency savings or investment liver function to the recipient.
account that’s earmarked exclusively for long-term care Transplants in Florida The benefits of live-donor transplantation include:
to help avoid relying on your other retirement accounts. • Transplants take place quicker when a living donor is
But self-insuring has two main drawbacks. First, because Tampa General Hospital (TGH) is leading the way in available.
long-term care can be costly, you might need to plan for living-donor liver transplants in the state of Florida. In • Hospitals schedule transplants based on the recipient’s
a significant amount. And second, it will be quite hard to 2023, the academic health system performed five lifesaving and donor’s availability.
predict exactly how much money you’ll need, because so living-donor liver transplants, the most of any hospital in • Research shows that recipients of living-donor organs
many variables are involved – your age when you start the Sunshine State. have better outcomes.
needing care, interest rates or inflation, the cost of care The first occurred in May 2023, when Derek Sanz gave TGH is a top 5 transplant center by volume in the
in your area, the type of care you’ll require, the length of his mother, Patty, the ultimate Mother’s Day gift — half of United States and is ranked one of the Nation’s Best
time you’ll need care, and so on. his liver. After nearly a year, mother and son are healthy and Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report in 2023-2024. The
As an alternative to self-insuring, you could purchase grateful that the TGH Transplant Institute offers a living- living-donor liver transplant program “is a prime example
long-term care insurance, which can provide benefits of Tampa General continuing to drive innovation to deliver
for home health care, adult day care, and assisted-living world-class health care,” said TGH President and CEO
and nursing home facilities. However, you will need to John Couris. “This program opens up additional access to
consider the issues attached to long-term care insurance. patients in need of a liver transplant, and has the potential
For one thing, it can be expensive, though the younger to transform the lives of patients and their families in the
you are when you buy your policy, the more affordable Tampa Bay region, Florida, and across the United States.”
it may be. Also, long-term care policies typically require Both Patty and Derek Sanz have shared their
you to wait a certain amount of time before benefits are experiences to encourage others to consider a living-donor
paid. But policies vary greatly in what they offer, so, if liver transplant if they have a family member in need. “It
you are thinking of buying this insurance, you’ll want to worked for us and that’s why we want to get the word out
review options and compare benefits and costs. there, so more people can be saved,” said Patty.
In any case, by being aware of the potential need for For more information about the TGH Transplant
long-term care, its cost, and the ways of paying for it, Institute, please call (561) 739-4TGH.
you’ll be able to make the appropriate decisions for your
financial situation, your needs, and your loved ones. Derek and Patty Sanz Lifestyles on page 20

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