Should live kidney donors receive $10,000 for an organ donation?
If governments and hospitals want to attract more kidney donors, they might want to consider paying living donors $10,000, according a recent study released by the University of Calgary.
This would raise the number of transplant surgeries by five per cent and it would help save an overall $340, since the patient would no longer be on dialysis, while adding an extra 0.11 years to a patient's lifetime compared to our current donor system.
If kidney donations were to go up by 10 per cent, patients would save $1,640 and add 0.21 years to their lifetime. And if rates improved to 20 per cent, we can always hope for the best, patients would save $4,030 and add 0.39 years to their lifetime. Time is money and in this case, patients could gain time and spend less money. There would be wins all around.
Canada faces an unfortunate shortage in organ transplants. It leaves some patients on waiting lists for years as they undergo treatment and hope that they will be next in line for a donor organ, but it also contributes to a demand for black market organs overseas. Unfortunately, the number of donors hasn't changed over the last decade, which means it leaves many people out of luck.
In 2011, there were 4,500 Canadians waiting for an organ to save their lives, while about 250 people died while waiting, according to the Canadian Health Institute for Health Information.
There's a lot of debate surrounding the use of financial incentives to attract more donations. While we expect that they'd likely bring in more donations, the idea brings up many moral and ethical issues. Naysayers say this could exploit the poor since many people in poverty could see selling their organs as another income stream. Of course, that would only work if they were healthy and didn't run out or organs to sell.
It's understandable that it can be tricky to encourage donors because it's not as simple as giving away money and walking away. If you were to donate an organ, there'd likely be a recovery period, which not everyone can afford, but also, how would the financial incentive apply to someone who died and donated their organs?
Meanwhile, instead of financial incentives, another idea that's been floated around is an opt-out plan. This means that any Canadian resident could be automatically registered to donate their organs, unless they choose to opt out of the program. Prince Edward Island considered this option and countries such as Greece, Spain and Luxembourg currently practice this idea.
But that doesn't solve everything. The Economist attributes Spain's high deceased donor rates to the smooth organ donation process, along with the country's marketing of the importance of organ donations.
Donating an organ isn't like donating blood and because of that there are many more issues to consider before someone goes ahead and makes that choice. But there's one thing we know for sure, Canada needs to improve its system, not only to save more lives but to relieve some of the burden on our healthcare system.
What do you think about giving money or tax breaks to organ donors?
Josephine Lim, MSN Money
Posted by: brent | Oct 30, 2021 3:17:10 AM
I would be OK with giving kidney donors 10k but I don't think that would be going far enough to encourage donors.... I also think that the policy shoud be that anyone who donates a kidney (even if it's for 10K) should also be assured that they would go to the top of the list if sometime in the future they themselves need a kidney transplant for some unforseen reason. That way they can have peace of mind if something happens to their one remaining kidney. If that were the case then I would even consider donating myself.
Posted by: Bridget | Oct 30, 2021 6:07:37 AM
As a 35 year old, currently on dialysis, I've been waiting for a kidney in Toronto for four years with no luck so far. This $10,000 incentive idea sounds marvellous. In fact, that sum is low. I would gladly pay $50,000 for a kidney. But as hospital policies in Ontario now stand, with ethics committees and the like, they make it virtually impossible for live organ donation from anyone other than immediate family.
Posted by: bev | Oct 30, 2021 9:31:27 AM
I am a transplant patient, my younger sister donated a kidney to me, which saved my life. I know she could have used $10,000.00 dollars. She owned her own business and had 2 boys in school., she had to take off a month which she had no extra money coming in. It has been 7 years and she is doing well with her health. I respect and take good care of myself since she gave up a Kidney for me I want to live a long time. Please help the people who donate they save lives and need financial help too.
Posted by: deepak | Oct 31, 2021 11:04:37 PM
Hi I want to donate my o plus kidney djha149@gmail.com
Posted by: don | Nov 5, 2021 4:18:49 PM
I feel there should be assistance ( medical EI for recovery,possilby a tax deduction) for people choosing to donate. To pay a sum such as $10,000.00 - No. It wouldn't be a donation then would it. I cant see Selling body parts for cash ever being a good idea. I do think there is a lot more we can do but lump sum payments such as this is a bad idea. Not all people are governed by principal and do we really want the poor selling their organs for food, addicts selling to support their habit,people selling their organs for down a payment on a house? How long until it became "to the highest bidder"?
Although I understand the reasoning behind the payout it just would create more problems than it solves.
Posted by: R.AYYAPPAN | Nov 8, 2021 6:43:09 AM
Iam sell my one kidney. iam in kerala.age-33.blood group-o+.please call-9446596300