ABSTRACT
Solid-organ transplantations are some of the most costly surgical procedures performed today (1-3). Although solid-organ transplantation has received increased public and private insurance coverage over time, the health-care system in the United States continues to change and to focus on endpoints such as efficacy, cost-containment, equitable allocation of resources, and health-care satisfaction (4). Many payers adopt cost-containment strategies that place transplant programs under financial pressure to improve economic outcomes and maintain profitability; these include limiting outlier protection for high-risk patients and establishing fixed global rates with the intent to shift greater financial risk to the transplant team (1,5). These financial pressures require constant re-evaluation on the part of transplant centers to identify the most cost-effective approaches.
