CURRENTLY, KIDNEY DONORS ARE EXPECTED TO GIVE UP NOT ONLY A PART OF THEIR BODY, BUT A SIGNIFICANT CHUNK OF THEIR NET WORTH

  • One US study reported that overall costs averaged $837 per donor, ranging from $0 to $28,906.
  • Costs for travel and accommodation were experienced by 99% and 88% of donors, respectively, in one US study.
  • Three studies (from Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom) reported that 14% to 30% of donors lost income.
  • One study from Germany and one from Australia found that 3% of donors resigned or were fired from their jobs as a result of physical limitations following surgery.
  • A US study found that compared with non-donors, donors were 37% less likely to have long-term growth in household income.
  • Caregiver costs were incurred by 9% to 44% of donors.
kidney donors

INCENTIVES CAN
SOLVE THE PROBLEM

Economists say that compensation ranging $15,000 to $45,000 will eliminate the kidney waiting list

Iran has a compensation program with a very small waiting list

FINANCIAL NEUTRALITY FOR KIDNEY DONORS

Financial neutrality has widespread support among opinion leaders

Removal of Disincentives:

Lost wages

• pre-surgery screening appointments
• Surgery and recovery
• post-surgery follow-up
• use of limited sick days

Travel and housing

• airfare/ gas/ rental/taxi/ parking; hotel or lodging; food; and travel insurance

Costs of complications

• additional lost wages, additional medical care; evaluation of new symptoms post-donation

Childcare expenses

Cost of pain medication

Potential job loss

DONORS COMPENSATED CURRENTLY

Egg donors receive as much as $50k

Surrogate mothers receive between $40k and $50k

Bone marrow donors receive $3k in some cases

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will pay $3k for persons willing to get infected with flu and quarantined for 9 days

OTHER SOLUTIONS

Presumed Consent Won’t Solve the Problem

31% of Californians opt to be organ donors

yes for donation

72% donation rate in California among donors who die of brain death (Better than every country in the world except Spain)

Presumed consent program is viewed as counter-productive by organ procurement organizations

2014 saw 181 unrelated anonymous kidney donations

8176 people on the kidney waiting list died or were too sick to transplant in 2014

Dependence on altruistic donation is a failure
by any measure