DONOR BENEFIT PLAN
What is the Donor Benefit Plan? It is a medical expense assistance program and a thank you for our loyal, dedicated blood donors and blood drive sponsor organizations.
There are a number of costs associated with medical care including transfusion costs at the hospital for blood infusion supplies, nursing administration of transfusions, and for laboratory testing to match the blood components with the recipient. There are also processing costs for The Blood Connection to have the blood available.
Generally, medical insurance plans including Medicare and Medicaid cover such expenses. However, such insurance plans also generally require certain deductible amounts or co-payments be borne by the insured, thus leaving a residual out-of-pocket expense.
The Donor Benefit Plan helps offset a qualified beneficiary's medical expense if and when transfusion is part of the medical treatment received. It does not cover any specific item related to the transfusion, nor does it cover expenses of any kind when transfusion is not part of the patient's medical care.
How much of the cost is covered?
A $25.00 benefit is provided for each unit of volunteer donated whole blood, red blood cells, leukoreduced red blood cells, apheresis platelets or fresh frozen plasma transfused anywhere in the United States per qualified beneficiary per year. Autologous and Directed transfusions are not covered. If the patient is covered by another blood bank's plan, the recipient or representative should contact that blood bank to request that benefits be issued to The Blood Connection through the National Blood Exchange. Our identification number is NBEID 1576.
Who is a qualified beneficiary?
Individual blood donors who donate* two or more times in a 12-month period and who are not employees or members of a group that holds blood drives qualify themselves as potential beneficiaries as well as qualifying the donor's immediate family (spouse, parent, child, step-child, foster-child, step-parent, and foster-parent).** Blood drive sponsor organizations (companies, churches, schools, civic organizations, etc.) qualify all the sponsor's constituents and constituents immediate families by:
- having at least 25% of their blood donor-aged constituents donate* in any consecutive 12-month period or,
- hosting at least four blood drives in a 12-month period and average at least 15% participation* among its blood donor-aged constituents.
Replacement donations
Replacement donations may be arranged when a blood recipient does not meet one of the above criteria. In this case, individual donors and blood drive sponsors "replace" the blood the recipient has received by donating or hosting a blood drive. The qualified beneficiary is the blood transfusion recipient or designee.
Proxy donations
Proxy donations occur when an individual covers a beneficiary outside their immediate family by donating* two times in a 12-month period. These donations are in addition to the donations required to cover a donor's immediate family. At least 45 days must pass between the last proxy donation and the beneficiary's transfusion. The qualified beneficiary is the person named by the proxy donor.
*Apheresis platelet donations and automated red cell/platelet/plasma
donations count as two donations.
**As defined by the U.S. Department of Labor 29CFR 780.308
How do I submit a Donor Benefit Claim?
Contact the Donor Benefit Claims Manager at
864-255-5005, Ext. 1031.
Please have the following information available when you call:
- Patient's full name
- Patient's telephone number
- Patient's mailing address
- Patient's coverage category
(see "Who is a Qualified Beneficiary?" - inside)
The patient (or patient's representative) will be instructed to submit a photocopy of the patient's itemized hospital bill to the address below. A summary bill is inadequate.
Mail the documents to:
Donor Benefits Claims Manager
The Blood Connection
1099 Bracken Rd.
Piedmont, SC 29673
How will the beneficiary receive the benefit?
A benefit check will be written and mailed to the beneficiary after the claim
information is collected and verified.
Are there time limits to submit a claim?
Yes. The Donor Benefit expires twelve months from the date of the transfusion.
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Cholesterol-Lipid Profile Testing
The Blood Connection offers a free lipid profile test to all donors who meet the
donation frequency requirements.
Who is eligible?
A donor is eligible to have a fasting lipid profile after whole blood, platelets or plasma have been donated three times or double red cells two times in a twelve month period. A lipid profile voucher is mailed each time a donor accumulates three whole blood, platelet or plasma donations or two red cell donations within a 12-month cycle. What is tested in a lipid profile? - Total cholesterol
- Low-density lipoprotein or LDL (bad cholesterol)
- Triglycerides
- High-density lipoprotein or HDL (good cholesterol)
- Cholesterol ratio
A fasting lipid profile provides valuable detailed information about blood lipids. It is used by physicians to diagnose and monitor treatment of elevated cholesterol or triglyceride levels. How does the program work?
Once the lipid profile voucher is received, all the donor needs to do is to visit one of our four donation centers for a blood sample to be collected. No appointment is necessary. The lipid profile test will be offered free of charge. Once the blood sample is collected, the results are ready in less than ten minutes. Can the lipid profile test be performed on the same day as a donor donates?
No. We collect the maximum amount of blood that is allowed to be withdrawn from a donor in one day. We cannot withdraw any more during your donation. Can a donor pay to have the lipid profile test done if the donation requirements are not met?
No. The Blood Connection is not set up to function as an outpatient laboratory. |