Chronic kidney disease – what other coverage options are there?

My mother (62) has chronic kidney disease stage 5, but is not on dialysis yet. She’s tried to apply for disability and Medicaid in the state of MD but is getting denied (expected). She just got on the waiting list for a kidney transplant. She is not able to get Medicare yet due to her age. She had to retire earlier than expected due to her condition.

In addition to her regular monthly nephrologist checkups, she currently has to get injections of Retacrit to increase her red blood cell counts. Every two weeks, she gets invoiced for the actual doctor’s visit, the lab test, and the actual injection which comes out to be around $500 every two weeks. She tries to negotiate the medical bill, but the office just tells her to apply for Medicaid (which she is ineligible for because my dad is employed and makes $100K). She is covered by my dad’s employer-based insurance, but due to the calendar renewal timeline, the insurance won’t cover anything until the deductible is met and that happens in July which won’t be enough time for her to meet the deductible.

I know she is lucky to be able to get covered by my dad’s insurance, but it seems like she’s in this gap where she can’t get any additional coverage and must pay $1000+ out of pocket every month (which is almost all of her SSI). I can help, but I also have my own finances and debt I must be responsible for. I feel hopeless as it’s been difficult navigating the healthcare system for her (English is not her first language) and wanted to see if there’s anything else she can do.