Non-invasive diagnostic blood tests like donor-derived cell free-DNA (dd-cfDNA) and gene expression profiling (GEP) have been adopted across major transplant centers as the standard of care to monitor a patient’s transplanted organ health and immune status. These are simple blood tests that allow clinicians to detect declining health in transplanted organs and intervene earlier to preserve the transplanted organ’s function. Additionally, these tests can help reduce or avoid the need for traditional tissue biopsy, which can be incredibly burdensome for patients—from the physical pain and complications they may endure to disruptions in their daily life, such as missing work and long commutes to the hospital center.

Unfortunately, innovations in non-invasive diagnostics have outpaced policies that ensure clinicians can use them as transplant surveillance tools and that a patient’s insurance provider will cover them.

In the wake of other progress in the transplant space, such as earlier availability of organs and mandated lifetime coverage of immunosuppressive drugs, the time is now to honor the gift of transplant by ensuring coverage for the non-invasive tests that can save lives.