Medical expertise
Independent clinicians assess severity, urgency and expected benefit.
For patients · How we prioritize
Eligible isn’t the same as funded.
Meeting the eligibility criteria does not automatically guarantee funding, particularly when available resources are insufficient.
Two separate steps
Eligibility, then prioritization
Eligibility tells AAM whether an application is within scope. Prioritization decides between eligible applications when resources are limited.
Factors are assessed together, rather than through an inflexible numerical score. Decisions follow published prioritization principles and are documented.
Six factors
What the Priority Committee weighs
Among eligible applications, AAM considers six factors.
No single factor automatically wins. The committee looks at the combination, with medical input from independent reviewers.
- Medical severity
The seriousness of the patient’s medical condition. - Medical urgency
The consequences of delaying treatment. - Lack of alternatives
The absence of appropriate and accessible alternatives. - Financial barriers
The patient’s inability to finance the required care. - Vulnerability
Relevant social circumstances and additional barriers to treatment. - Expected medical benefit
The medically assessed potential benefit of the proposed intervention.
Pediatric priority principle
When cases are equal, children come first
Children and adolescents may receive priority when competing applications present substantially comparable medical urgency, expected benefit, lack of accessible alternatives and financial need.
This principle does not automatically override significantly greater medical urgency in another patient. When cases remain substantially equivalent, pediatric applicants receive priority.
| Situation | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Child and adult with substantially equivalent urgency, benefit, alternatives and need | The child receives priority. |
| Adult with significantly greater medical urgency than a child | Urgency prevails — the principle does not override it. |
| Cases clearly differ on several factors | Factors are weighed together; no automatic age rule applies. |
Who decides
A committee with several perspectives
Financial assessment
Confidential analysis of financial need and barriers.
Patient advocacy
Social and patient perspectives, including vulnerability.
Independent oversight
Governance oversight, documented decisions and declared conflicts of interest.
Questions
About prioritization
Is there a points system?
No. The six factors are assessed together, not through an inflexible numerical score.
Can a donor choose who is funded?
No. Donors may support defined programs or medical domains, but cannot select individual beneficiaries or override independent eligibility decisions.
Can I challenge the outcome?
Yes. Patients receive a documented decision and can use a fair appeal process.
What if funding runs out?
Eligible applications are compared according to published principles. Being eligible does not guarantee funding when resources are insufficient.
Understand the full process
From application to decision, in six stages.