No general age restriction
AAM may assist patients of all ages and backgrounds, provided their medical needs fall within its scope.
For patients · Eligibility
Who AAM can help.
Worldwide, with no nationality or income-group restrictions — assessed on five principal criteria.
Programs are not open yet
AAM is in its foundation phase and is not yet funding treatments or accepting full applications. These pages describe the framework we are building. You can leave your details to be informed when applications open. AAM does not provide medical advice — in an emergency, contact your local emergency services.
Geographic scope
A worldwide eligibility philosophy
Patients from high-income and low- and middle-income countries may apply under the same foundational principles. AAM does not automatically prioritize patients based on their country of residence.
Context still counts
Actual medical costs, insurance coverage, available treatments and local circumstances are considered when evaluating each individual application.
Territorial risk assessment
When working in a territory is not yet possible
Some territories present legal, political, security or operational challenges.
Before operating in such territories, AAM evaluates:
- Applicable laws and international restrictions
- Patient and personnel safety
- Availability and reliability of medical partners
- Possibilities for medical transfers
- Financial integrity and fraud risks
- Data protection and patient confidentiality
Never a judgment on people
Temporary operational restrictions may be necessary when lawful and safe intervention cannot be guaranteed. They must not become discriminatory judgments about the populations concerned.
Patient scope
All ages and backgrounds
Children and adolescents
May receive priority where competing applications present substantially equivalent medical circumstances.
Five criteria
How applications are assessed
Every application is assessed against five principal criteria. Each is evaluated on the individual case.
01
Medical need
The patient must present a genuine medical need falling within AAM’s medical domains. This may include complex surgery, specialized treatment, advanced therapies or specialized diagnostic procedures.
02
Medical validity
The proposed treatment or pathway must have a credible medical justification. Experimental treatments require additional medical, ethical and regulatory scrutiny.
- Review by qualified medical professionals
- Evaluation of potential benefits and risks
- Consideration of appropriate alternatives
- Verification of regulatory and clinical status
03
Lack of accessible alternatives
AAM evaluates whether the patient has access to an appropriate alternative.
- Availability of treatment locally
- Waiting times
- Availability of qualified specialists
- Accessibility of suitable medical facilities
- Public and private healthcare coverage
- Other medically appropriate alternatives
04
Financial need
The patient must show that the cost of the necessary pathway cannot reasonably be covered by personal resources and existing support. Financial need is assessed individually rather than through income alone.
- Household income and assets
- Existing medical expenses
- Insurance coverage
- Public assistance
- Other available funding
- Total expected treatment costs, including necessary travel and accommodation
05
Feasibility & continuity of care
AAM must be able to identify a medically appropriate and legally feasible treatment pathway. The complexity of organizing a treatment must not, by itself, make a patient less deserving of assistance.
- Availability of qualified healthcare providers
- Medical facility suitability
- Patient safety
- Legal and regulatory requirements
- Necessary post-treatment care
- Continuity of care and follow-up arrangements
Questions
Common questions about eligibility
Do I have to live in a low-income country?
No. There are no nationality-based or income-group-based restrictions. Patients from high-income countries may apply under the same principles. Actual costs, insurance coverage and local circumstances are weighed individually.
Am I eligible if I have some financial resources?
Possibly. Financial need is assessed individually rather than through income alone, taking into account household assets, existing medical expenses, insurance and the total expected cost of the pathway, including travel and accommodation.
What if I don’t have a diagnosis yet?
The absence of a definitive diagnosis does not automatically disqualify an applicant when obtaining that diagnosis is itself a necessary part of the medical pathway. See special cases.
Is there an age limit?
No. There is no general age restriction. Children and adolescents may receive priority when cases are otherwise substantially equivalent.
Does meeting the criteria guarantee funding?
No. Eligibility and prioritization are separate processes. When resources are insufficient, eligible applications are compared. See how we prioritize.
Does AAM treat patients or choose the treatment?
No. AAM does not diagnose or prescribe. The final treatment decision remains between the patient and qualified healthcare professionals.
Next: how eligible applications are ranked
Resources are limited — here is how AAM decides between eligible applications.