Should living organ donors be compensated?

Sadly, I think this will only encourage poorer people to become living organ donors, which is not what we’re looking for by doing this, right?

I am not sure compensation is the way to go. I think keeping no price on organs is better along with rigorous prosecution of recipients of paid organs and very stiff penalties. There would be no traffic if there was no market.

I thin they should gain priority access to donor list.

Does a poor persons kidneys work as well as a rich person?

I’m thinking with compensation, the black market might decrease.
And why not have more poor people giving away organs? The gift of life they give to someone else, will make them feel so good about themselves!
Might give them a gift of life also, by giving part of yourself away to another person is so rewarding!

@Bobbilynn I get the reward of it, obviously
but there’s no reason to increase the disparities between the poor and the rich

no

I think there should be compensation no matter what, when it comes to organ donation.

Aside from medical follow up, no. Still, it’s going to be very hard to discourage black market organs harvesting and as Simone says, it’s the poorer people who will be preyed upon.

We have a place to “sell” blood, and the red cross has no problem finding donors anytime they set up. Compensation does not seem to be a factor.

Organs either work, or they don’t. The finances of the donor make no difference.

I would have no problem compensating a donor for their organ(s). I also think if someone donates an organ (non-compensated) they should be given a priority if they need an organ in the future, but not both.

I’m soon to have a kidney transplant, hopefully my sister will be an eligible match. The transplant center told me that ALL the costs for my sister’s donation are covered under Medicare, no matter her insurance coverage and no deductible from her policy. Post operation care and followup is also covered for her. The transplant center told me, that if she ever would need a kidney; she, as a former live donor, goes directly to the top of the cadaver list. Live Well This Life.

@kelly, my thoughts are with you and your family!

@kelly Good luck!

@Simone_De_Beauvoir The thing is, on the black market it is the poor who are being taking advantage of. The broker buys the kidney for like $10,000.00 from a poor person in Israel (in this case) and sells it to a rich American for about $160,000.00. If there were some type of compensation that was standard and legal, maybe that wouldn’t happen.

@augustlan oh I know about that
it’s always the poor on the black market as well
but there’d be no way to ensure that now this wouldn’t be done legally

Who isn’t an organ donor anyway? What kind of people give a shit about having organs in their dead bodies? Wouldn’t you have to be a selfish fool to refuse to allow them to be used to save another’s life?

@girlofscience I know a lot of non-donors. Seems to be out of hate for the system and not to be an asshole to others. I’m actually surprised you’re a donor.

I don’t see hate for the system as being a strong enough reason to deny another the need for an organ you can no longer use. Surprised I’m a donor? I hope the dissection of my brain is posted on facebook!

Well, I believe that people should be compensated for organs..even if deceased. The family should get some of the money that goes into organ donation. That is my opinion.
I’m not at the point where I can declare myself an organ donor, but I grapple with that on my own.

@girlofscience I’m an organ donor, but am not registered to be a live donor. Probably the majority of organ donors have never been tested and put into a registry for live bone marrow or kidney transplants. Maybe compensation would encourage more people to do so.

I would be in favor of that, unless you mean that they recipient must pay for an organ.

@YARNLADY Definitely not the recipient. More of a government incentive, I guess.

Yes