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Why Can’t I Sell My Organs?

Like most ethical questions, this one is going to be debated among congress and nations for years to come. Selling organs is illegal, but should it stay that way? Some people, who are strapped for cash, might look at this as a way to climb out of debt. Meanwhile, those who can afford to buy an organ might want to pay for a second chance at life. Sally Satel’s article in The Wall Street Journal sheds some more light on this controversial topic.

First, we’ll take a look at a few of the pros and cons of selling organs, then suggest how it ties in with personal finance. After, we’ll open the floor up for discussion.

The Pros
Bye, Bye Black Market Organ Trade, Hello Regulation.
Right now, the best way to get a life saving organ is by either waiting for a donor, or shopping around the black market. Sure, tales of ice baths and missing kidneys may seem like urban legends, but the black market is truly a terrible place to shop for organs. You might get what you’re looking for, but evading authorities, dealing with ill-equipped doctors in inhospitable environments, and wondering where those organs came from, makes this process dangerous and complicated.

Many believe that legitimate organ sales would make the process safer, more affordable, and more accessible. Patients could work with their own doctors instead of skulking around in another country. Plus they’d probably know the medical history of the donor. Extensive planning and education provided by a regulatory board would eliminate those impromptu Joe Schmoes’ looking to make a quick buck on a kidney. Sure, the donor will receive compensation, but only after they consider all the variables involved.

A Lifesaving Market
Assuming that a regulatory body would oversee organ sales appropriately, organ supply might increase. And that’s a crucial thing, since organs for transplant are in great demand. Organ supply is crucial, because currently, 17 people die every day while waiting for an organ.

Don’t Tell Me What To Do With My Organs
Although a legitimate organ trade would involve many variables, the debate ultimately boils down to this question: Does anyone have the right to tell you what you may or may not do with your own organs? Say your home was recently foreclosed, you lost your job, and your bank account is dried up. In this case, selling an organ for a lump sum of money won’t just save someone else, but it’ll help you out as well. Everyone has the option of becoming an organ donor, so why can’t we have the choice to become organ sellers?

The Cons
Targeting The Weak
Many people object to organ markets on religious grounds. But there are other reasons to argue against the buying and selling of organs. For one, it’s likely that the commodification of organs could exploit the weak and poor. If cash is the incentive, chances are that the wealthy won’t be stepping up to have a kidney removed, whereas an impoverished person might.

In economic downturns like the one we’re currently struggling through, there might be a major temptation to cash in on…ourselves. The motivation would suddenly be financial rather than altruistic.
The elderly, the sick, and the poor might end up as the prime candidates for this type of procedure. They might get the same cash incentive as everyone else, but this demographic would feel the pressure to sell more than anyone else. Since hospitals and families stand to profit, there might be a perverse incentive to withhold treatment to try and cash in on a dying relative.

Use That Kidney To Make a Down Payment
And how far could this go? Say an organ becomes as valuable as an ocean front condominium; could it be used as collateral? Should you be able to open up a “Kidney Equity Line of Credit”? Imagine if you borrowed $100,000 against your kidneys, but couldn’t make good on the payments, would you be forced to sell one of them? The idea of repo organ agents smacks of dystopian science fiction novels.

The Price Goes Up
If everyone were given a cash incentive to donate a healthy organ, hospitals and regulators would have to come up with the cash to pay the organ seller. This, in turn, would make it more expensive for a recipient, which could counter-intuitively diminish the use of lifesaving organ transplants. Those who couldn’t afford an organ would die, whereas those willing to donate might think twice about the adverse affects this higher price has on many people.

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Clearly, this topic penetrates much further than the simplicity of this article, but we encourage our readers to take part in the discussion. If you’d like to add or negate anything in this article, please do so below!

– Colin Constantine

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