Lost Wage Reimbursement Living Donor Financial Assistance for Donation-Related Time Off Work

Living kidney donors should not have to suffer lost income as a result of their generous decision to donate a kidney. Donating a kidney will require some time off work for surgery and recovery. To help offset any lost wages resulting from that time off, Donor Shield offers living donor financial assistance. Donors covered by Donor Shield are eligible for reimbursement of lost wages, up to a maximum of $2,000 per week for up to 12 weeks. Lost wage reimbursement beyond three weeks requires additional clearance from the transplant center.

No financial or income information is required from the recipient, and eligibility is not tied to income for either the donor or the recipient. Donor Shield lost wage reimbursement should be considered primary when supplemental benefit plans such as short term disability are available to the donor. We encourage donors to preserve their supplemental benefit plans such as short term disability so that they do not exhaust these benefits in case they are needed in the future for other reasons.

Lost wage reimbursement is only available to donors with a valid U.S. Social Security Number (SSN) or Employee Identification Number (EIN), which serves as proof of legal employment in the U.S. and is required for tax purposes.

Documentation to support income and current employment is required for lost wage reimbursement. All reimbursements are made via ACH** within approximately 10 business days after submission of proper documentation. ACH payment will come from the law firm of Smith Carroad Wan & Parikh, P.C., which has been retained by the NKR to manage the Donor Shield reimbursement process.

Please note that lost wage reimbursement is available up to the maximum amount for both kidney donation and liver donation. Double living donors can claim up to the maximum amount for each donation.

* Donors must participate in an NKR donation or donate at a Donor Shield Direct center to receive this living donor assistance.

** Reimbursements to the donor are via ACH to U.S. bank accounts that are maintained in the name of the donor. Also known as “direct payments,” ACH payments are a way to transfer money from one bank account to another without using paper checks, credit card networks, wire transfers, or cash.

*** Lost wage reimbursements may be subject to income tax. Please consult with your accountant for guidance.