Medicare Coverage of Kidney Transplant Services
Adapted from Medicare Coverage of Kidney Dialysis and Kidney Transplant Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The selected guidance concerns Medicare coverage and payment, not a recommendation for medical treatment. Numbered page references below refer to the linked source publication.
Coverage can depend on medical necessity, the setting, provider participation, and your plan’s rules. Use the cited publication for the full conditions and check the plan year when comparing costs or enrollment choices.
Kidney transplant services covered by Medicare
| Service or supply | Medicare Part A | Medicare Part B |
|---|---|---|
| Inpatient services in a Medicare-certified hospital. | ✓ | |
| Kidney registry fee. | ✓ | |
| Laboratory and other tests to evaluate your medical condition and the condition of potential kidney donors. Medicare covers these services at Medicare- certified hospitals where you’ll get your transplant, or another hospital that participates in Medicare. | ✓ | |
| The costs of finding the proper kidney for your transplant surgery (if there’s no kidney donor). | ✓ | |
| The cost of some care for your kidney donor. | ✓ | |
| Any extra inpatient hospital care your donor needs if they experience problems after donation. | ✓ | ✓ |
| Doctors’ services for kidney transplant surgery (including care before, during, and after the surgery). | ✓ | |
| Doctors’ services for your kidney donor during their hospital stay. | ✓ | |
| Transplant drugs (also called immunosuppressive drugs) for a limited time after you leave the hospital, following a transplant. Go to pages 20–21. | ✓ | |
| Blood (whole or units of packed red blood cells, blood components, and the cost of processing and giving you blood). Go to page 30. | ✓ | ✓ |
To find out what you pay for these services, go to pages 25–30.
ESRD & pancreas transplants
If you have ESRD and need a pancreas transplant, Medicare covers the transplant if it’s done at the same time you get a kidney transplant or it’s done after a kidney transplant.
Note: In some rare cases, Medicare may cover a pancreas transplant, even if you don’t need a kidney transplant.
If you have Medicare only because of permanent kidney failure, and you have a pancreas transplant after a kidney transplant, Medicare will only pay for your immunosuppressive drugs for 36 months after the month of the kidney transplant and your Medicare coverage will end after then. However, you may be eligible for a Part B benefit that helps continue to pay for your immunosuppressive drugs beyond 36 months. Go to page 21 to learn more.
If you were already eligible for Medicare because of age or disability before you got ESRD, or if you became eligible for Medicare because of age or disability after getting a transplant, Medicare will continue to pay for your transplant drugs with no time limit.
Transplant drugs (also called immunosuppressive drugs)
What are transplant drugs?
Transplant drugs are immunosuppressive drugs used to reduce the risk of your body rejecting your new kidney after your transplant. You’ll need to take these drugs for the rest of your life.
If you’re only eligible for Medicare because of ESRD (you aren't 65 or older or have a disability), Medicare Part B will only cover your transplant drugs if both of these conditions are met:
- You already had Medicare Part A at the time of your transplant.
- You had transplant surgery at a Medicare-certified facility.
Part B will only cover your transplant drugs after you have Part B. There won’t be any retroactive coverage (page 5).
What if I stop taking my transplant drugs?
If you stop taking your transplant drugs, your body may reject your new kidney, and the kidney could stop working. Talk to your doctor before you stop taking your transplant drugs.
How long will Medicare pay for transplant drugs?
If you’re eligible for Medicare only because of ESRD, your Medicare coverage will end 36 months after the month of the transplant.
However, if you're eligible for the Part B immunosuppressive drug benefit, Medicare will continue to pay for your transplant drugs beyond 36 months. Medicare will pay without a time limit if one of these conditions applies:
- You were already eligible for Medicare because of age or disability before you got ESRD.
- You became eligible for Medicare because of age or disability after getting a transplant that Medicare paid for (in a Medicare-certified facility), or you had private insurance that paid for your health care before your Medicare Part A coverage.
What's the immunosuppressive drug benefit?
Medicare offers a benefit that helps you pay for your immunosuppressive drugs beyond 36 months, if you don’t have or expect to get certain types of other health coverage (like a group health plan, TRICARE, or Medicaid that covers immunosuppressive drugs). This benefit only covers your immunosuppressive drugs and no other items or services. It isn’t a substitute for full health coverage. You can sign up for coverage of your immunosuppressive drugs at any time as long as you had Medicare because of ESRD at the time of your kidney transplant.
If you sign up for this benefit, you’ll pay a monthly premium and a yearly deductible:
- The monthly premium for this benefit is $121.60 in 2026. (You may pay a higher premium based on your income.)
- The yearly deductible is $283 in 2026. Once you’ve met the deductible, you’ll pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for your immunosuppressive drugs.
You may be able to get help paying for this benefit from programs offered through your state. To find out how to apply, contact your State Medicaid office at Medicaid.gov/about-us/beneficiary-resources/index.html.
Visit Medicare.gov/basics/end-stage-renal-disease to learn more about the Part B immunosuppressive drug benefit.
What if I can’t pay for the transplant drugs?
If you don’t qualify for the Part B immunosuppressive drug benefit and you’re worried about paying for your transplant drugs after your Medicare coverage ends, talk to your doctor, nurse, or social worker. There may be other ways to help you pay for these drugs. Go to page 36.
Source and further reading
Medicare Coverage of Kidney Dialysis and Kidney Transplant Services — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Public domain U.S. government educational material, accessed October 28, 2026. Fynoptic has selected sections, removed print navigation, and reformatted the text for this guide. The agency does not endorse Fynoptic.