While it's illegal to buy and sell organs in the U.S., one economist makes the argument that society should rethink the impact a properly orchestrated organ market may have, particularly for those on the receiving end of a donation, according to Business Insider.
In a working paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, Nicola Lacetera, an associate professor at the University of Toronto in Canada, claims the ability to buy and sell organs could save numerous lives, particularly those of the 119,000 people currently on the waiting list for a donation in the U.S. Through a survey given to respondents listed in the Mechanical Turk, an Amazon-like system used for massive psychological experiments, Mr. Lacetera found 50 percent of respondents in a control group agreed with the idea of some form of paid donation for organs. When introducing information about how the process may be done equitably, roughly 70 percent said it would be a good idea, according to the article.
While Mr. Lacetera said it's true that exchanges like these may lead to an unequal system benefitting the wealthy, a third party, like the government or insurance companies, could ensure that the list of patients who need transplants remains ranked in order of need. Paying someone who wants to sell a kidney, Mr. Lacetera said, would simply increase the available supply without unfairly providing wealthy patients with lifesaving organs first, potentially saving society money in the long-run. According to Mr. Lacetera, each kidney transplant would lead to about $200,000 in direct savings. That estimate jumps to nearly $1.1 million when factoring in indirect savings from increased health and life expectancy.
Still, Mr. Lacetera acknowledges that it's hard to imagine a pay-for-donation system that doesn't involve some sort of exploitation. According to the article, less-affluent individual in society will always have more reason to go through the risk and pain of donating an organ under a market economy.