The Regulated Sale of Kidneys in the United States
There are currently 119,870 people on the transplant waiting list, 81.8% of which are people waiting for a kidney. Only 17,879 kidney transplants were done in the year 2015, and only 1 out of 5 organ donations came from a living donor (Organ Donation Statistics, 2016). Based on these statistics, it is clear that there are more people in need of a kidney than there are people willing to donate a kidney. It is because of this fact that Dr. Matas, a prominent transplant surgeon in the United States, is fighting to legalize the regulated sale of kidneys. He has been traveling the country, presenting his argument to the medical community. According to Dr. Matas, the regulated sale of kidneys could …show more content…
Dialysis can be very expensive. Based on a study conducted in 2004, the medical care cost of a person on dialysis over 20 years is $372,179, versus the cost of post-transplant cost over the same period of time at $277,600, showing a total savings for just one patient at $94,579 (Matas & Schnitzler, 2004). That is a huge savings when you compound it among hundreds or even thousands of patients. Even if the cost of the payment to the persons selling their kidney is around $20,000, there would still be a savings of over $70,000. This information shows that the sale or purchase of kidneys for transplantation could be cost effective, even when the cost of the payment is calculated. In addition, since a lot of dialysis patients are on Social Security and/or Medicare, the money for dialysis is being spent by the public healthcare system, which is already strained in the United States. Finding a way to save money for any government program benefits not only those receiving the transplant, but all who rely on this system for their medical care. If the United States were able to find a way for more money to become available for their programs, then more families could qualify for medical assistance, making kidney sales widely …show more content…
There are many pros and cons for both sides of the argument, which is what makes it such a debated topic. The benefits that come from the regulated sale of kidney, such as the number of lives it would save, the reduction of black market sales, and the money it saves the healthcare system, far out-weigh the cons. Since the term beneficial means to improve a situation, the regulated sale of kidneys would be beneficial. As Dr. Matas travels the country presenting his argument regarding the legalization of the sale of kidneys, he is gaining support. As more and more doctors and other member of the medical community start to warm up to the idea, there are more and more ideas of how a trial could be put together and tested. By regulating the costs, collection and distribution of kidneys, as well as the education and treatment of the donors, the sale of kidneys could be done in a completely ethical
There are currently 119,870 people on the transplant waiting list, 81.8% of which are people waiting for a kidney. Only 17,879 kidney transplants were done in the year 2015, and only 1 out of 5 organ donations came from a living donor (Organ Donation Statistics, 2016). Based on these statistics, it is clear that there are more people in need of a kidney than there are people willing to donate a kidney. It is because of this fact that Dr. Matas, a prominent transplant surgeon in the United States, is fighting to legalize the regulated sale of kidneys. He has been traveling the country, presenting his argument to the medical community. According to Dr. Matas, the regulated sale of kidneys could …show more content…
Dialysis can be very expensive. Based on a study conducted in 2004, the medical care cost of a person on dialysis over 20 years is $372,179, versus the cost of post-transplant cost over the same period of time at $277,600, showing a total savings for just one patient at $94,579 (Matas & Schnitzler, 2004). That is a huge savings when you compound it among hundreds or even thousands of patients. Even if the cost of the payment to the persons selling their kidney is around $20,000, there would still be a savings of over $70,000. This information shows that the sale or purchase of kidneys for transplantation could be cost effective, even when the cost of the payment is calculated. In addition, since a lot of dialysis patients are on Social Security and/or Medicare, the money for dialysis is being spent by the public healthcare system, which is already strained in the United States. Finding a way to save money for any government program benefits not only those receiving the transplant, but all who rely on this system for their medical care. If the United States were able to find a way for more money to become available for their programs, then more families could qualify for medical assistance, making kidney sales widely …show more content…
There are many pros and cons for both sides of the argument, which is what makes it such a debated topic. The benefits that come from the regulated sale of kidney, such as the number of lives it would save, the reduction of black market sales, and the money it saves the healthcare system, far out-weigh the cons. Since the term beneficial means to improve a situation, the regulated sale of kidneys would be beneficial. As Dr. Matas travels the country presenting his argument regarding the legalization of the sale of kidneys, he is gaining support. As more and more doctors and other member of the medical community start to warm up to the idea, there are more and more ideas of how a trial could be put together and tested. By regulating the costs, collection and distribution of kidneys, as well as the education and treatment of the donors, the sale of kidneys could be done in a completely ethical