Compensation for organ

donation
By: Ali Eggenberger, Taylor Mills, Kristen Moore
US Department of health & human services

https://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/data/1
 need for change in current organ donation
➔ There is an increased
demand for organ
donation2,3
◆ The US population is
living longer
◆ Donation has remained
relatively unchanged

Girlanda, R. 20163
Ethical questions/problems related to Primary Issue
1. Is it ethical to provide someone with incentives when
donating an organ?

1. Is it ethical to remove disincentives when someone

donates an organ?
Description of Terms
➔ Incentive- Something that motivates or encourages to
take some action.4

➔ Disincentive- Something that makes a person less

likely to want to complete some action.5
3 Views on compensation for organ donation
Provide the donor with monetary compensation in exchange for
their organ

Provide the donor with compensation in order to equalize out

any disincentives

No compensation provided to the donor

Perspective #1: Providing Incentive for donation
Strengths: Weakness:
➔ No waiting list2,6 ➔ Socioeconomic and race
➔ Reduce the black market disparities may arise (poor
individuals more likely to
(fixed rates
donate while only the rich can
internationally)6,7 afford to purchase them)2,10
➔ Increased number of ➔ Human and Organ trafficking6
individuals willing to ➔ May have reduced ability to
donate, therefore lower truly be informed when
number of deaths as result consenting if large
compensation is on the table11
of kidney failure8,9
➔ Commercialization of human body
parts11,12
➔ “Undermines the altruistic
donation”11(pp465)
Perspective #2: Removal of Disincentives for organ donors
Strengths:
➔ Opportunity to donate organs
for those who cannot afford
cost/Remove cost7,8
➔ There may be more motivation
for volunteering to donate
when there is compensation
for associated healthcare
costs12
➔ May eliminate stress and
allow the family’s focus to
remain on recovery from
chronic illness12
Weakness:
➔ May no longer view organ
donation as an altruistic
act12
➔ Can easily turn into
incentives
➔ Limited research on this
perspective
➔ May not increase directed
donation numbers because
people are equaling out
Perspective #3: Provide no compensation for organ donors
Strengths:
➔ Allows for full disclosure
of health information6
➔ Eliminate risk of
materializing and
commercializing human body
parts12
➔ Maintains altruistic reason
for donating (selfless
act)2
➔ Avoids economic dilemma of
putting a price on an organ
Weakness:
➔ Individuals need to be in
a financially stable state
to be willing to donate12
➔ Attitude/Action Gap13
➔ US uses this perspective
and organ shortage is
still a major issue1-3
Key:

Providing Incentives
for donation

Removal of
Disincentives

No Compensation
 Our group’s I need a
transplant!

conclusion:
Removing disincentives
provides the opportunity to
increase the amount of organ
donors without making human
body parts a commodity.
 References

1. US Department of Health & Human Services. Data. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.
https://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/data/. Updated April 16, 2019. Accessed April 16, 2019.
2. Farrell AM. Addressing organ shortage: are nudges the way forward?. Law, Innovation, and Technology.
2015;7(2):253-282. doi.org/10.1080/17579961.2015.1106105.
3. Girlanda R. Decreased organ donation for transplantation: challenges and opportunities. World Journal of
Transplantation. 2016:6(3):451-459. doi: 10.5500/wjt.v6.i3.451
4. Cambridge University Press. Incentive. Cambridge Dictionary.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/incentive. Accessed April 16, 2019.
5. Cambridge University Press. Disincentive. Cambridge Dictionary.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/incentive. Accessed April 16, 2019.
6. Capron AM. Six decades of organ donation and the challenges that shifting the United States to a market
system would create around the world. Law and Contemporary Problems. 2014;77(25):25-69.
7. Koplin J. Assessing the Likely Harms to Kidney Vendors in Regulated Organ Markets. The American Journal
of Bioethics. 2014;14(10)7-18. doi:10.1080/15265161.2014.947041.
 References

8. Peters T, Fisher J, Gish R, Howard R. Views of US Voters on Compensating Living Kidney Donors. JAMA
Surgery.2016; 151(8):710-716. doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2016.0065.
9. Eyting M, Hosemann A, Johannesson M. Can Monetary Incentives Increase Organ Donation? Economics Letters.
2016;142:56-58. doi:10.1016/j.econlet.2016.03.005
10. Ahmad G, Iftikhar S. An analysis of organ donation policy in the United States. Rhode Island Medical Journal.
2016;99(5):25-27.
11. Malmqvist E. Does the ethical appropriateness of paying donors depend on what body parts they donate?.
Medicine, Healthcare and Philosophy. 2012;19(3):463-73. doi:10.1007/s11019-016-9705-6.
12. Shaw RM, Bell LJM. ‘Because You Can’t Live on Love’: Living Kidney Donors’ Perspectives on Compensation
and Payment for Organ Donation. Health Expectations. 2014;18:3201-3212. doi:10.1111/hex.12310.
13. Levy M. State incentives to promote organ donation: honoring the principles of reciprocity and solidarity inherent
in the gift relationship. Journal of Law and the Biosciences. 2018;5(2):398-435. doi:10.1093/jlb/lsy009.
Questions?