Bijou Phillips is opening up about the financial pain she is experiencing as she searches for a potential kidney donor.

“On my first transplant, SAG denied coverage. We had to fight for months to get approval,” Phillips, 45, exclusively shared with Us Weekly. “Then, once I was on dialysis, I qualified for Medicare. They initially said they’d cover it, and then they didn’t. SAG also refused to pay.”

A rep for SAG-AFTRA Health Plan could not provide a comment to Us, citing HIPAA regulations.

Through her health struggles, Phillips said she was left “with a massive bill while trying to survive.”

“This time around, because of that experience, I carry multiple insurance policies and Medicare,” she explained. “It’s insane that you have to strategize insurance while fighting for your life. … There are still medications I need that won’t get approved. They’re unbelievably expensive. I pay out of pocket because I don’t have a choice.”

Phillips was born with underdeveloped kidneys and spent her first three months of life on dialysis. She recovered but maintained limited kidney function. Phillips later needed a transplant at 36 (her friend Chris Wadhams was the donor), but on February 11, she revealed on social media that she was hospitalized and on dialysis again.

Phillips continues to share her story in hopes that she can find a kidney and live a healthier life.

“Please help me find a living donor so that I can have more time with my daughter, family and friends,” she wrote via Instagram earlier this month. “Time is of the essence.” (Phillips’ blood type is B negative, so O+, O negative and B negative are encouraged to donate.)

In recent weeks, GoFundMe pages have been created to support Eric Dane’s family after he died from ALS. Friends of America’s Next Top Model judge Miss J Alexander also launched a page to cover medical expenses after a recent stroke.

Regardless of Hollywood status, Phillips believes health care is far from perfect for many Americans.

“When you’re working consistently as an actor, you make good money — or you used to before streaming changed the residual structure,” Phillips said. “But illness doesn’t care about career cycles. And insurance doesn’t care either.”

She continued, “If people who’ve had successful careers are launching GoFundMes to stay alive, what does that mean for everyone else? The system is incredibly complicated, opaque and stacked in ways that make it hard even for people with resources. For families without them, I can’t even imagine the pressure.”

While Phillips’ future may have some big questions, the actress remains focused on being the best mother to her 12-year-old daughter, Fianna, whom she shares with ex-husband Danny Masterson.

Related: Bijou Phillips’ Rare Photos With Daughter Fianna Francis Through the Years

Bijou Phillips has kept a close bond with her daughter, Fianna, following her split from ex-husband Danny Masterson. Phillips tied the knot with Masterson in 2011 after seven years together. The pair welcomed their only child, Fianna Francis, in February 2014. After Masterson was found guilty on two counts of forcible rape for incidents that […]

She’s also grateful for the support of her closest friends, including her boyfriend, businessman Jamie Mazur, and lifelong pals Nicky Hilton, Paris Hilton and Kimberly Stewart.

In addition to family and friends, Phillips also has found strength with her Catholic faith and prays the Rosary in the morning with a group of friends after she drops her daughter off at Catholic school.

“I’m just giving it to God. I’ve been tested my whole life. There have been so many things that have brought me sadness and shame and fear and worry. I had to grow so much. I’ve had to really look at myself [and be] thankful for what I’ve had,” Phillips said. “We’re so lucky to be here on this planet, in these bodies, getting to live this life. There’s so much love, there’s so much beauty. It’s unbelievable.”