Comments on: Organ Sales http://healthcare-economist.com/2006/11/21/organ-sales/ An unbiased look at today's health care issues Tue, 06 Jan 2009 11:54:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Healthcare Economist · Tyranny of the gift http://healthcare-economist.com/2006/11/21/organ-sales/comment-page-1/#comment-121300 Healthcare Economist · Tyranny of the gift Thu, 20 Dec 2007 17:08:41 +0000 http://healthcare-economist.com/2006/11/21/organ-sales/#comment-121300 [...] I have touched on this subject last month in my post on “Organ Sales.” [...] [...] I have touched on this subject last month in my post on “Organ Sales.” [...]

]]> By: Dave Undis http://healthcare-economist.com/2006/11/21/organ-sales/comment-page-1/#comment-1564 Dave Undis Wed, 22 Nov 2006 19:30:16 +0000 http://healthcare-economist.com/2006/11/21/organ-sales/#comment-1564 Legalizing commerce in human organs would save thousands of lives every year in the United States. But it's extremely unlikely that legalization will occur in the forseeable future. Fortunately, there's an already-legal way to put a serious dent in the organ shortage -- allocate organs first to people who have agreed to donate their own organs when they die. Giving organs first to organ donors will convince more people to register as organ donors. It will also make the organ allocation system fairer. People who aren't willing to share the gift of life should go to the back of the waiting list as long as there is a shortage of organs. Anyone who wants to donate their organs to others who have agreed to donate theirs can join LifeSharers. LifeSharers is a non-profit network of organ donors who agree to offer their organs first to other organ donors when they die. They do this through a form of directed donation that is legal in all 50 states and under federal law. Anyone can join for free at www.lifesharers.org or by calling 1-888-ORGAN88. LifeSharers has 6,453 members, including over 600 minor children enrolled by their parents. No one is excluded due to any pre-existing medical condition. Legalizing commerce in human organs would save thousands of lives every year in the United States. But it’s extremely unlikely that legalization will occur in the forseeable future.

Fortunately, there’s an already-legal way to put a serious dent in the organ shortage — allocate organs first to people who have agreed to donate their own organs when they die.

Giving organs first to organ donors will convince more people to register as organ donors. It will also make the organ allocation system fairer. People who aren’t willing to share the gift of life should go to the back of the waiting list as long as there is a shortage of organs.

Anyone who wants to donate their organs to others who have agreed to donate theirs can join LifeSharers. LifeSharers is a non-profit network of organ donors who agree to offer their organs first to other organ donors when they die. They do this through a form of directed donation that is legal in all 50 states and under federal law. Anyone can join for free at http://www.lifesharers.org or by calling 1-888-ORGAN88. LifeSharers has 6,453 members, including over 600 minor children enrolled by their parents. No one is excluded due to any pre-existing medical condition.

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