Just got devastating news - UPDATE

[Ms. Toad]

129. If she has been without health insurance for 6 months

She is eligible immediately for insurance under the high risk pool for her state. The rates are very cheap and pre-existing conditions are covered. It may be a lot easier to raise the money to pay for insurance than for a liver transplant. https://www.pcip.gov/PCIP_States.html (Someone upthread mentioned this - I already had this drafted when I skimmed the thread)

In addition, she should apply immediately for SSI or SSDI (whichever she is eligible for). That will get her access to Medicaid or Medicare (although with Medicare there is a waiting period, so the intermediate insurance will be critical.

Unfortunately, the bar isn't just at this stage - she will need to demonstrate that she can pay the high prescription costs going forward (in the range of $100,000/year) to maintain the liver (anti-rejection drugs). She will also need to show she has a social support system - but it sounds as if that won't be a problem.

Many people who need transplants do a lot of fundraising to set aside the money needed to show the transplant team the liver will not be wasted.

Feel free to PM me if information might help. I tend to stay up on both access to medical care and transplant issues because my daughter will eventually need a liver transplant (for primary sclerosing cholangitis - and if that is your friend's disease I can point her to a fantastic community for support).