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Horizon Transplant Program

Organ and tissue donation gives transplant patients the possibility of having a normal, healthy life. The Horizon Transplant Program is available to help donors, recipients and their families, when dealing with a condition that needs a transplant. We can help you find quality specialty care from health care professionals designated as Blue Distinction® Centers for Transplants and provide additional support for you and your transplant donor through Horizon's Case Management Program.

What are Blue Distinction Centers for Transplants?

In 2019, local Blue Plans invited hospitals across the country to be considered for the Blue Distinction Centers for Transplants Program¹. These hospitals' transplant programs were evaluated on objective, transparent Selection Criteria with Quality, Business and Cost of Care components. Designation as a BDC for Transplants differentiates hospitals locally, as well as nationally, and includes two levels of designation:

  • Blue Distinction Centers (BDC): Hospitals recognized for their expertise in delivering specialty care.
  • Blue Distinction Centers+ (BDC+): Hospitals recognized for their expertise and cost-efficiency in delivering specialty care.

To date, 166 hospitals have been designated as Blue Distinction Centers for Transplants, representing more than 623 organ-specific transplant programs across the country.

Blue Distinction Centers for Transplants offer quality designations for nine transplant types:

  • Adult Heart
  • Adult Lung (deceased and living donor)
  • Adult Liver (deceased and living donor)
  • Adult Kidney (deceased and living donor)
  • Adult Bone Marrow/Stem Cell (autologous and allogeneic)
  • Pediatric Heart
  • Pediatric Liver
  • Pediatric Kidney
  • Pediatric Bone Marrow/Stem Cell (autologous and allogeneic)

¹ Blue Distinction Centers (BDC) met overall quality measures, developed with input from the medical community. A Local Blue Plan may require additional criteria for providers located in its own service area; for details, contact your Local Blue Plan. Blue Distinction Centers+ (BDC+) also met cost measures that address consumers’ need for affordable healthcare. Each provider’s cost of care is evaluated using data from its Local Blue Plan. Providers in CA, ID, NY, PA, and WA may lie in two Local Blue Plans’ areas, resulting in two evaluations for cost of care; and their own Local Blue Plans decide whether one or both cost of care evaluation(s) must meet BDC+ national criteria. National criteria for BDC and BDC+ are displayed on www.bcbs.com. Individual outcomes may vary. For details on a provider’s in-network status or your own policy’s coverage, contact your Local Blue Plan and ask your provider before making an appointment. Neither Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association nor any Blue Plans are responsible for non-covered charges or other losses or damages resulting from Blue Distinction or other provider finder information or care received from Blue Distinction or other providers.
² Nurses cannot diagnose problems or recommend specific treatment. They are not a substitute for your doctor’s care. Services are not an insurance program and may be discontinued at any time.