I have COPD and I'm a patient advocate for COPD. Over the past 10 years I've gone to many professional conferences, Lung Health conferences, helped write the National Action Plan for COPD, am a principal investigator on a study comparing daliresp and azithromycin sponsored by the COPD Foundation, sit on a bunch of boards and committees and work with pharma companies to help them understand what it's like to have COPD. I've just learned a lot over the years about my disease by talking with people and asking lots of questions.

Hi Jean. Thanks Again Dear. Know that your advocacy in behalf of learning and sharing COPD information. Is both essential and beneficial.😎😄😃😅

In order to determine whether you are placed on the list, you will need to find a hospital or center that does transplants and go through their evaluation process. Each center may have a slightly different process so it's not all the same. Medicare does cover the costs, although there are things that probably fall outside their purview. Discussing the financial and after care requirements is part of the process of evaluation. I don't know what you mean by "lung range qualifications", but I think this will answer your question: in order to be placed on the transplant list, the evaluation has to determine that without a TX you will die in the next two years. How long you wait on the list depends to a great extent on where you are geographically. If you're on either coast, you're in for a pretty long wait. In the middle of the country, it's not so long, and in Arizona, I understand it's less than an average of 60 days. The TX team makes the determination of whether or not you qualify for their center and are placed on their list. You doc can make a referral to a center, but they make the decision based on their evaluation. When you go for the evaluation, you need to ask what the center's experience is, and how successful they've been over the last several years. Overall, the rate is getting better, but you need to know about the rate for the center you're considering. Don't worry about the national averages; you'll get all that information in the evaluation process. What's really critical is the success rate where you're being evaluated.

Hi @ Jean: Words cannot express my gratitude in behalf of your answers; that addressed my concerns. Concerns about the process of applying/ qualifications for the lung transplant.Your directives are on point. My dear, were you a patient? Or one of our COPD advisors? Which ever doesn't matter. The bottom line is the professional advice.❤️💓💃🤨😀😆😍😎

Hi @ members who are recipients of new Lungs via Transplant surgery. My questions are these: In order to qualify for a Lung transplant what are the qualifications? Does Medicare cover a portion of the costs? What's the lung range qualifications. Which percentage are the transplants successful? Hopefully, the lungs are available when needed. What's the length of waiting on the waiting list. Does the Pulmonary Specialist give the referral to a transplant team. ? And the patient is then placed on the list? Please respond due to your experience.