USA Today: Why lifesaving tests for organ transplant patients are now out of reach for many
By: Eduardo Cuevas
Published December 5, 2023
Evan Dame lives in near-constant fear his body will reject his transplanted kidney.
For a time, a simple blood test from the comfort of the 39-year-old’s Maryland home just outside of Washington would assuage that fear. He'd get the test every two to three months at 6 a.m., just before he started work as a facilities manager.
Managing those fears became far more difficult in March, when federal changes regarding how to pay for the screenings meant the at-home tests were no longer available to Dame. The tests are still available, just with the added inconvenience of an hourlong trip to a clinic. That meant having to take off from work – an option not available to everyone who needs the screenings. With the change, it's harder to tell if or when Dame's body will reject his new organ. Without early intervention, he could land back in dialysis, or worse.