Organs For Sale Summary

Response to “Organs for Sale”
“Organs for Sale” is an argument written in response to the on-going ethical debate of a market-based incentive program to meet the rising demands of organ transplants. With many on the waiting list for new organs and few organs being offered, the author, Sally Satel, urges for legalization of payment to organ donors. Once in need of a new kidney herself, Sally writes of the anguish she encountered while facing three days a week on dialysis and the long wait on the UNOS list with no prospective willing donors in sight. She goes on to list several saddening researched facts on dialysis patients survival rates, length of time on the UNOS wait list, and registered as well as deceased donor numbers. While Sally is
In this option, she suggests that the donor could choose how he or she wanted to be compensated. With compensation ranging from deposits to a retirement fund to lifetime health insurance benefits, you really can’t go wrong with this route. She does go on to note that some would be unimpressed and even upset with the fact that undereducated or irresponsible spenders would simply choose to donate for the quick payment and then spend frivolously. Honestly, I don’t see how any one would think they have the right to mandate the way someone spends their money, or legally obtains it at that. If a person chooses to be a plumber and then spend all of their paycheck on beer, they have every right to. And this should be the case with a volunteer compensated donor.
Next, Mrs. Satel mentions the “multiple compensator” option. She does not elaborate much on this possibility, but she does mention a sort of arranged triangle between the donor, compensator, and hospital. She explains that charities or insurance companies could be the compensators. With the lack of detail on this option, and my lack of understanding, I’m afraid I can neither agree nor disagree with this