Financial Compensation for Organ Donation Essay - 1307 Words

In the United States, there are over one hundred thousand people on the waiting list to receive a life-saving organ donation, yet only one out of four will ever receive that precious gift (Statistics Facts, n.d.). The demand for organ donation has consistently exceeded supply, and the gap between the number of recipients on the waiting list and the number of donors has increased by 110% in the last ten years (OReilly, 2009). As a result, some propose radical new ideas to meet these demands, including the selling of human organs. Financial compensation for organs, which is illegal in the United States, is considered repugnant to many. The solution to this ethical dilemma isn’t found in a wallet; there are other alternatives available†¦show more content†¦They conclude that â€Å"research shows that the underlying motivation of most paid kidney donors is poverty† and that â€Å"paid kidney donation is associated with depression, regret, and discriminationâ €  (The State of the International Organ Trade, 2007). In other words, throwing money at the poor in exchange for their organs will not get them out of poverty. Offering a financial incentive program for organ donation will allow the rich to exploit the poor and deprive the poor from life-saving donation. The demand for organs will likely remain higher than the supply; therefore, prices for organs will become competitive and eliminate the chance for the poor to receive a transplant. Implementing financial compensation would only serve to shift the demographic of organ recipients away from those with the greatest need to those with the greatest wealth. Proponents of financial compensation for organ donors argue that it’s legal to be paid for donating reproductive material, and they suggest that organs should be handled in the same manner. The obvious difference, however, is that inability to conceive a child isn’t life-threatening. Healthy organs for transplan t are limited, and recipients must be carefully selected to ensure that the transplant is successful. Imagine the moral chaos that would ensue if organs were sold to the highest bidder. Instead of focusing attention on the sale of human organs, resources would best be spent considering more ethicalShow MoreRelated How Can We Encourage Organ Donation? Essay1333 Words   |  6 PagesHow Can We Encourage Organ Donation?      Ã‚  Ã‚   Thousands of people die each year in the United States alone waiting for organ transplants. In 1997 the United States Department of Health and Human Services reported that 56,716 people were waiting for hearts, lungs, pancreases, and kidneys. 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