When I was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndromes (a precursor of acute myeloid leukemia) in July 2015, I don’t know what shocked me more: the fact that my only chance for a cure was a bone marrow transplant, or that because I was 75, my “advanced” age disqualified me from receiving one.

Then I discovered that my insurance provider would consider covering transplants for patients over age 65 — but only if they met certain fitness...