Nobel Prize Winning Economist: Legalize Sale of Human Organs

retroworks writes "Dr. Gary Becker (University of Chicago) and Julio Elias (Universidad CEMA, Argentina) wrote a thought-provoking editorial in last week's WSJ, arguing that the prohibition on voluntary sale and trade of human organs is probably killing people. In 2012, 95,000 American men, women and children were on the waiting list for new kidneys. Yet only about 16,500 kidney transplant operations were performed that year. 'The altruistic giving of organs might decline with an open market, since the incentive to give organs to a relative, friend or anyone else would be weaker when organs are readily available to buy. On the other hand, the altruistic giving of money to those in need of organs could increase to help them pay for the cost of organ transplants.' Paying for organs would lead to more transplants, the article maintains. 'Initially, a market in the purchase and sale of organs would seem strange, and many might continue to consider that market "repugnant." Over time, however, the sale of organs would grow to be accepted, just as the voluntary military now has widespread support.'"

Comments

And thereby create a black market in organs...

[davecb]

Organlegging: Technology needed to deal in illicitly obtained body parts.

Bill Christensen wrote: As far as I know, Niven was the first writer to really work with a topic that is just starting to become a problem, thanks to drugs that make transplantation viable.

Re:Make organ donars have priority access to organ

[BZWingZero]

At least in the US, this is 100% wrong. If you donate a kidney and later need one, you are automatically at the top of the list to receive one.

The real solution is opt-out by default

[naasking]

The real solution is already known: organ donation should be opt-out by default. Studies have already been conducted that organ donation is above 80% or so in countries that adopt an opt-out default, and only 20% or so in an opt-in system. Most people simply don't take the time to opt-in, but they similarly wouldn't take the time to opt-out.

Re:What could possibly go wrong???

[cold fjord]

The organ theft urban legend has been around for a long time, but organ transplant isn't just something any unethical surgeon can do in the back of a fan.

Unethical surgeons aided by criminal enterprises (which is sometimes the state) seem to be available.

Kidney Thefts Shock India

GURGAON, India — As the anesthetic wore off, Naseem Mohammed said, he felt an acute pain in the lower left side of his abdomen. Fighting drowsiness, he fumbled beneath the unfamiliar folds of a green medical gown and traced his fingers over a bandage attached with surgical tape. An armed guard by the door told him that his kidney had been removed.

Mr. Mohammed was the last of about 500 Indians whose kidneys were removed by a team of doctors running an illegal transplant operation, supplying kidneys to rich Indians and foreigners, police officials said. A few hours after his operation last Thursday, the police raided the clinic and moved him to a government hospital.

Many of the donors were day laborers, like Mr. Mohammed, picked up from the streets with the offer of work, driven to a well-equipped private clinic, and duped or forced at gunpoint to undergo operations.

Illegal kidney trade booms as new organ is 'sold every hour'
China Admits Selling Prisoners’ Organs

Stolen baby is found alive - Woman arrested in grisly case

The baby who had been ripped from her slain mother’s womb was found alive and well in New Hampshire last night, and a woman was arrested in the grisly killing and kidnapping

Social workers 'seize unborn baby from the WOMB' after mother has panic attack

Swedish banking prize

[Luthair]

Seriously, there is no Nobel prize in economics. There is however a prize setup by the Swedish bank hijacking the prestige of real Nobel laureates. Further members of the Nobel family have spoken out against it.

Re:Yes.

[ShanghaiBill]

This then creates an incentive to transition people from the state of living to the state of dead.

This incentive already exists. There are huge profits in harvesting organs. A kidney transplant can generate $250k in fees. A heart transplant can cost over $1M. It is just that, under current law, none of that money can go to the donor or to the donor's family. The medical system gets to keep it all.

Here is a list of transplant costs, including the cost of "procuring" the organ.