iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — It’s illegal to charge for a kidney donation. But, could that ever change?
Right now, there are more than 100,000 Americans waiting for a kidney transplant. Between 2013 and 2014, over 63,000 of those awaiting kidney transplants died or became so ill that they were no longer transplant candidates.
A new study, published in JAMA Surgery by researchers at the University of Florida, evaluated the beliefs of U.S. voters on their willingness to donate a kidney, as well as their thoughts on paying living kidney donors in an effort to increase the availability of transplantable kidneys.
The study looked at 1,011 U.S. voters, and it found that most voters viewed kidney donation positively. When presented with the hypothetical incentive of $50,000 in cash, there was more than a 50 percent increase in willingness to donate a kidney among the study participants.
The researchers concluded that laws and regulations that currently prohibit donor compensation should be modified to allow pilot studies of financial incentives for living kidney donors. Researchers said this would ultimately increase the number of available kidneys that can be life-saving for patients with end-stage renal disease.
It’s important to note that the study population was made up of U.S. voters that the authors claim represents the U.S. voting public. 43 percent of the participants were between the ages of 45 and 64 years.
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