"What a great site! I'm impressed by the great stuff you've pulled together. It merely confirms my long-held belief that economics CAN be interesting....
All the best"-
Charlie Wheelan,
aka The Naked Economist
Sell one of your kidneys! Heck you only need one, right? This economic discussion has been going on for a while, and is always thought provoking, if not a little disturbing.
20 comments:
Anonymous
said...
i dont think that a market for body parts is immoral. it may sound a little creepy, but people do need new organs and allowing people to sell there kidneys will definitly boost the amount of donors. since the human body only needs one kidney to survive, selling an un-needed one is a win-win situation. a little incentive goes a long way.
I don't see any crime in a small compensation for kidney donors. There is a large demand for kidneys, increasing daily, but not nearly enough are being donated. If there was a money incentive to get people to donate, the market would become much larger. I'm sure the person in need of a kidney won't refuse to accept one if it was donated for money, rather than just pure volunteering.
I don't see anything wrong with compensating kidney donors. Organs are in short supply and people in need will take what they can get. It is a little creepy though. no matter how poor i was, i dont think i'd have the courage to sacrifice a kidney for a couple bucks.
I am in full support of a kidney market, simply bc more people will live. however, once put on market, and if there is no price ceiling, i think poor people will get the bad end of the deal. rich will pay anything for a healthy kidney, poor can't. the kidney's will be swallowed up by richer people who need them, regardless of how long a poor person might have needed it. i don't know how to solve that...a ceiling will reduce the number donated, so i don't think it's a good solution.
Despite the unseemly idea of an organ market I must agree with Mr. Elias, by producing a monetary incentive you could up the number of kidneys which are donated. The increasing number of kidneys required proves that we are in need of some way to up the donor numbers without increasing total costs. In the end it would also help in liquefying the illegal organ market since most people would prefer to get a safe kidney from a paid donor then a diseased or damaged one from a seedy vendor.
I think that if people don't need two kidneys, why wouldn't or shouldn't they give one away to someone who does? The money incentive idea works for egg donors, too. People, such as college students, donate eggs to women that aren't fertile in trade for money. It is a smart idea because why put kidneys, or eggs, to waste when other people are in dire need of the organ? It could also help to cease the black market for kidneys like when homeless people get killed for their kidneys in the city (this is true).
Since there is such a large demand for kidneys in today's world i don't see why it would be wrong to offer money if one would donate a kidney. Not enough kidneys are being donated so it wouldn't hurt to have an incentive.
Saying that someone is going to sell their kidney for money sounds a little disturbing. But when you actually read the article and see how many people need kidneys and how many of them actually get the transplant it makes you think that it might actually be a good idea to sell kidneys. Not just for the money but to help all the people that are waiting for a transplant.. and no one minds some extra cash.
How could anyone be against this proposal? It's a win-win situation for both sides. One person gains a kidney, another one loses one but gains a hefty sum of money. The only person who could disagree with this would be the donor. If someone chose to give up a kidney, they would have a greater risk of death from a kidney disease since they only have one kidney. Having said that, there would be several more kidneys on the market, and if everything goes well, they would just get another kidney to substitute for their faulty one.
I think it's a great idea. People in dire need of kidneys can finally have a better shot at getting one. Also, people who are in need of money and have an extra kidney would benefit from recieving money for kidneys. I mean after all, you're giving up an organ, you need to get something out of it. Doing this will increase the supply of donor kidneys and help save a lot of lives
This brought up the discussion of whether we should donate eggs/sperm for money. while it is a controversial issue, i see nothing wrong. its not like we are being forced to donate our body parts. also, it might save someones life! its kind of like donating your body to science!
There are many people who need kidney transplants and if giving people money for a kidney will boost up the total annual transplants and save lifes then it is fine by me. there is a shortage of not just kidneys but of other organs as well, and this idea might save lives. there won't be as many people dying while waiting for a transplant.
Many people in the world need kidneys and only one is needed per person...this is true but i dont think that a large number of people will have their kidney removed for money. People that are in need for money would probably deff take this opportunity if their kdneys are good. I wouldn't, even though it sounds mean because it can save someones life but no surgery for me.
I don't see what wrong for people donating their kidney. You can save a person life. The only thing I can see going wrong is if you donate your kidney then years later your other kidney fails.
since the demand for organs is increasing i do not see anything wrong with this.if the idea that selling your kidney appeals to you then go a head and do it. but people also have to think of there future what it your other kidney starts to fail what r u going to do take your kidney back?
I think that given money to people that donate their kidney is a good idea because many people need kidneys and this will boost up the number of people that are willing to donate theirs. Also, its not like people are being forced they can do what they want to their body.
I just wrote something and it got deleted. I hate this thing!!!
As horrible as this may sound, it reminds me of the arguements for the legalization of drugs. The black market for the sale of live kideny "donations (depending on circumstances)" is potentially unsanitary, immoral, and...well...illegal. However, this kidney situation can hardly be argued for the potential tax revenue. I agree with encouraging postmortem organ donation as opposed to opening up the pandora's box of morality by legalizing the live sale of kidneys. Another thing is of course the wealth gap; a better off kidney recipient would be able to afford a kidney where a lower income person might not be able to. Or on the flip side, what middle to upperclass healthy citizen would sell their kidney? The potential "Kidney Pool" (lol) might have issues associated with the state of the kidney and would require restrictions based upon the health of a patient (hopefully). Also, some potential arguements against kidney sales are running through my head like if you can sell a piece of yourself (your kidney) isn't that similar to prostitution? I don't know. It seems to me that unless some fantasy system (I say fantasy cause I can't see how it would work in the real world) actually works and doesn't exploit poor donors or deny poor recipients. Plus its gross. I mean, donating blood/selling plasma is one thing but a whole organ? eww.
i think this is an awesome idea. the graph showing how many people need kidneys and the amount of donors there actually are shows how big of a demand there is for kidneys. if it takes money incentives to get people to donate, than why not. If a person is willing to put up with the surgery and living a bit more at risk than they certainly should get paid for it. I'd say its money well spent on a really good cause.
Hannah brings up some good points. Like everything else, if there was a kidney market to open up, there would be fraud and people pretending to know how to take out your kidney. Then you get screwed.
But, there is also that 'saving lives' thing that seems to be beneficial. And, besides. If someone wants to pay me some money for my extra kidney, why not? I know someone who almost needed an organ- and it's not a fun spot to be in. Something that is safely done and can reduce that panic is a-ok in my book.
I would definteley not sell my kidney to pay for college. Yeah it will help people who need organ replacements but I don't want someone to take a part of my body away.
Yeah i see what Hannah and Sarah are saying but I wouldn't put my own body part up for sale because what happens if your kidney fails? Sucks for you.
20 comments:
i dont think that a market for body parts is immoral. it may sound a little creepy, but people do need new organs and allowing people to sell there kidneys will definitly boost the amount of donors. since the human body only needs one kidney to survive, selling an un-needed one is a win-win situation. a little incentive goes a long way.
I don't see any crime in a small compensation for kidney donors. There is a large demand for kidneys, increasing daily, but not nearly enough are being donated. If there was a money incentive to get people to donate, the market would become much larger. I'm sure the person in need of a kidney won't refuse to accept one if it was donated for money, rather than just pure volunteering.
I don't see anything wrong with compensating kidney donors. Organs are in short supply and people in need will take what they can get. It is a little creepy though. no matter how poor i was, i dont think i'd have the courage to sacrifice a kidney for a couple bucks.
Roth's pic is creepy.
I am in full support of a kidney market, simply bc more people will live. however, once put on market, and if there is no price ceiling, i think poor people will get the bad end of the deal. rich will pay anything for a healthy kidney, poor can't. the kidney's will be swallowed up by richer people who need them, regardless of how long a poor person might have needed it. i don't know how to solve that...a ceiling will reduce the number donated, so i don't think it's a good solution.
Despite the unseemly idea of an organ market I must agree with Mr. Elias, by producing a monetary incentive you could up the number of kidneys which are donated. The increasing number of kidneys required proves that we are in need of some way to up the donor numbers without increasing total costs. In the end it would also help in liquefying the illegal organ market since most people would prefer to get a safe kidney from a paid donor then a diseased or damaged one from a seedy vendor.
I think that if people don't need two kidneys, why wouldn't or shouldn't they give one away to someone who does? The money incentive idea works for egg donors, too. People, such as college students, donate eggs to women that aren't fertile in trade for money. It is a smart idea because why put kidneys, or eggs, to waste when other people are in dire need of the organ? It could also help to cease the black market for kidneys like when homeless people get killed for their kidneys in the city (this is true).
Since there is such a large demand for kidneys in today's world i don't see why it would be wrong to offer money if one would donate a kidney. Not enough kidneys are being donated so it wouldn't hurt to have an incentive.
Saying that someone is going to sell their kidney for money sounds a little disturbing. But when you actually read the article and see how many people need kidneys and how many of them actually get the transplant it makes you think that it might actually be a good idea to sell kidneys. Not just for the money but to help all the people that are waiting for a transplant.. and no one minds some extra cash.
How could anyone be against this proposal? It's a win-win situation for both sides. One person gains a kidney, another one loses one but gains a hefty sum of money. The only person who could disagree with this would be the donor. If someone chose to give up a kidney, they would have a greater risk of death from a kidney disease since they only have one kidney. Having said that, there would be several more kidneys on the market, and if everything goes well, they would just get another kidney to substitute for their faulty one.
I think it's a great idea. People in dire need of kidneys can finally have a better shot at getting one. Also, people who are in need of money and have an extra kidney would benefit from recieving money for kidneys. I mean after all, you're giving up an organ, you need to get something out of it. Doing this will increase the supply of donor kidneys and help save a lot of lives
This brought up the discussion of whether we should donate eggs/sperm for money. while it is a controversial issue, i see nothing wrong. its not like we are being forced to donate our body parts. also, it might save someones life! its kind of like donating your body to science!
There are many people who need kidney transplants and if giving people money for a kidney will boost up the total annual transplants and save lifes then it is fine by me. there is a shortage of not just kidneys but of other organs as well, and this idea might save lives. there won't be as many people dying while waiting for a transplant.
Many people in the world need kidneys and only one is needed per person...this is true but i dont think that a large number of people will have their kidney removed for money. People that are in need for money would probably deff take this opportunity if their kdneys are good. I wouldn't, even though it sounds mean because it can save someones life but no surgery for me.
I don't see what wrong for people donating their kidney. You can save a person life. The only thing I can see going wrong is if you donate your kidney then years later your other kidney fails.
since the demand for organs is increasing i do not see anything wrong with this.if the idea that selling your kidney appeals to you then go a head and do it. but people also have to think of there future what it your other kidney starts to fail what r u going to do take your kidney back?
I think that given money to people that donate their kidney is a good idea because many people need kidneys and this will boost up the number of people that are willing to donate theirs. Also, its not like people are being forced they can do what they want to their body.
I just wrote something and it got deleted. I hate this thing!!!
As horrible as this may sound, it reminds me of the arguements for the legalization of drugs. The black market for the sale of live kideny "donations (depending on circumstances)" is potentially unsanitary, immoral, and...well...illegal. However, this kidney situation can hardly be argued for the potential tax revenue. I agree with encouraging postmortem organ donation as opposed to opening up the pandora's box of morality by legalizing the live sale of kidneys. Another thing is of course the wealth gap; a better off kidney recipient would be able to afford a kidney where a lower income person might not be able to. Or on the flip side, what middle to upperclass healthy citizen would sell their kidney? The potential "Kidney Pool" (lol) might have issues associated with the state of the kidney and would require restrictions based upon the health of a patient (hopefully). Also, some potential arguements against kidney sales are running through my head like if you can sell a piece of yourself (your kidney) isn't that similar to prostitution? I don't know. It seems to me that unless some fantasy system (I say fantasy cause I can't see how it would work in the real world) actually works and doesn't exploit poor donors or deny poor recipients. Plus its gross. I mean, donating blood/selling plasma is one thing but a whole organ? eww.
i think this is an awesome idea. the graph showing how many people need kidneys and the amount of donors there actually are shows how big of a demand there is for kidneys. if it takes money incentives to get people to donate, than why not. If a person is willing to put up with the surgery and living a bit more at risk than they certainly should get paid for it. I'd say its money well spent on a really good cause.
Hannah brings up some good points. Like everything else, if there was a kidney market to open up, there would be fraud and people pretending to know how to take out your kidney. Then you get screwed.
But, there is also that 'saving lives' thing that seems to be beneficial. And, besides. If someone wants to pay me some money for my extra kidney, why not? I know someone who almost needed an organ- and it's not a fun spot to be in. Something that is safely done and can reduce that panic is a-ok in my book.
I would definteley not sell my kidney to pay for college. Yeah it will help people who need organ replacements but I don't want someone to take a part of my body away.
Yeah i see what Hannah and Sarah are saying but I wouldn't put my own body part up for sale because what happens if your kidney fails? Sucks for you.
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