How about a tax credit for organ donation?

[Incitatus]

Has this ever been considered. There are some who do this for the obvious reason, but many people are unwilling to just go and donate bone marrow, a kidney, etc. to a stranger. If there was an incentive, more people might do it. It could be handled the same way the organ donation lists currently are. More lives would be saved. What would be some disadvantages of a program like this?

[Tangerine LaBamba]

1. It stirs up ethical issues -

do poor people donate organs, marrow, etc. because they need money?

I don't want that door opened. It's far too dangerous...............

[Incitatus]

4. I guess it depends on how serious the health risk is the the donor.

I am not a medical professional, but surely some donations carry far less risk. I don't believe a bone marrow donation is very risky to the donor. Something like a kidney, may be more risky. The ones that do have substantial risk could be excluded.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

6. Like paying people for donating blood?

That doesn't hurt, either.

Once you get into an invasive hospital procedure - bone marrow donations HURT and there's always a risk of infection - you're dealing with even more serious stuff. And I'd like to think that some things are still done for the most noble reasons, not for personal profit.

For me, the idea of having my ears pierced is risky. Substantially risky, and I've never had it done.

See?

The concept of "substantial risk" is far too subjective to be able to be measured by some outside entity................

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. It does sound like a good idea...

But anytime you mix money into giving body parts/fluids away, you encourage people to lie in order to get that money.

I know that sounds harsh.

I really think that encouraging people to donate out of the goodness of their hearts is the way to go...

:shrug:

[virgogal]

3. Money incentives should not be part of a decision like that. IMHO

[TexasObserver]

5. Sure. They ought to get something for it.

If we can give tax credits for doctors buying Hummers (we did), we can give them for anything.

[elocs]

7. I've always thought that Harley riders who go helmetless

should get a tax credit for having a signed organ donation card.

[Incitatus]

8. There's an idea.

It could be expanded a little and give anyone a tax credit who signs a card, since after you're dead there's no risk in harvesting your organs. If you wish to cancel your donor status, you simply have to pay the credit back.

[elocs]

9. The trouble with having the organ donation on the driver's license

is that having the license for 10 years it that the info starts to wear off. The other trouble is that no matter what you want, if your family does not agree then all bets are off.

[KT2000]

10. This is the slippery slope

Some of the RW free-marketers are already beating the drum for cash for organs in the US. One went so far as to say that it would increase the health of the country because people would stay healthy to get top dollar for their kidenys etc.
The World Health organization at their last meeting on the subject listed the methods for setting up cash for organs and said it would shelve those options for now.

There are already documented murders of people for their organs for the black market. Selling of organs is expected in some countries to pay off debts.

I recommend the book "Ethics in Organ Transplantation: Perspectives and Challenged," edited by Nirmala Rao Khadpekar


A country that cannot even assure access to healthcare for all should not be entertaining any kind of financial benefit for transplanted organs.

[lindisfarne]

11. As long as it's a credit you can get regardless of whether you pay any taxes or not, my objection on

the basis of it being biased toward the rich(er) goes away.

But there's still the problem associated with paying for an organ.

The shortage of many organs would be much alleviated if people simply became organ donors and made those wishes clear to their families.