Insurance held by the organ recipient covers the medical expenses of donation surgery, including testing and evaluation. Costs not covered include travel and lodging expenses, if the donor lives far from our transplant center, and lost wages, if they don’t have paid leave or vacation time saved up. Most living donors are back to work in one to two months, depending on the physical demands of their job. If the donor qualifies based on income, the National Living Donor Assistance Center may be able to provide financial help for travel and lodging and potentially lost wages.