Distributive Justice and Organ Transplants Essay

Every day some dies after waiting years on a transplant list. The National Organ Transplant Act of 1984 says that in the United States, the sale of organs is illegal. Some believe this act may be preventing thousands of people from getting the organs that will save their lives. The truth is every day someone dies and their organs could be used to help others and everyday a life of one and the livelihood of another could be saved. The reasons for allowing the sale of organs is very simple to understand. It can help others financially, save money on medical expenses and most importantly, save lives. Critiques believe this would be a mistake causing spur of the moment decisions, and illegal obtain these organs for sale. With the use of regulation, these doubts can be laid to rest. Before the problem can be solved, the problem has to be identified.

The need of human organs for transplantation increases every single day and every passing month. Thousands of people are on the waiting list hoping for a chance at a new life. Unfortunately, the supply of available organs through organ donations is not able to provide for the growing demand of organs. According to a research conducted by the Hasting Center, “there are close to 100,000 people on the waiting list for a kidney, heart, liver, lung, and intestines, the pressure to find ways to increase their supply is enormous (Capland, 2014, p. 214). The shortage of human organs is leading people to participate in unethical acts. The pressure of finding available organs has resulted in healthcare professional and

Selling organs is a rising problem in the healthcare community, government and morality. Organ sales has become the topic of discussion for numerous reasons. Some of which being lowering the wait time on the organ transplant waitlist and taking advantage of the financially disadvantaged. This issue affects many people on many different levels, some people morally or legally but mostly importantly medically. What this basically comes down to is: “Who are we to judge what people do with their bodies?”. The answer to this question lays in many different sources. The simplified answer is no we can not tell people what they can and can not tell other people what they can and can ot do with their bodies.

The article “Need an Organ? It Helps to be Rich,” by Joy Victory informs readers of how medical systems work for those who are in need of an organ transplant. In the article, Victory talks about a 34-year-old man named Brian Shane Regions - who is in need of a heart transplant, but is not able to secure one because he is not insured. Therefore, not having insurance, Brian is put into an unfortunate situation because he is simply not getting any treatment for his heart failure. This is a great example of how patients without insurance could not be provided with an organ donor. Victory argues a variety of issues concerning how the organ donation system is unfair to certain people. A transplant cost a bundle amount of money, which leads to the rich only able to have the procedure done. While the poor cannot afford the cost of the transplant, creating an unfair situation for the less fortunate. The transplant centers can do anything as they please because they simply care more about the money. However, not all transplant centers treat their patients unfairly, several centers are truly able to support the uninsured patients in need of a transplant. It is simply unfair for the patients, who do not have enough money to pay for transplant and the medical systems are unethical.

The need for organ donations creates another ethical dilemma for Emergency Room Physicians. “Obtaining organs from emergency room patients has long been considered off-limits in the United States because of ethical and logistical concerns” (Stein, 2010). The shortage of organs available for transplant has caused many patients die while waiting. A pilot project from the federal government “has begun promoting an alternative that involves surgeons taking organs, within minutes, from patients whose hearts have stopped beating but who have not been declared brain-dead” (Stein, 2010). “The Uniform Determination of Death Act

Organ transplantation is a term that most people are familiar with. When a person develops the need for a new organ either due to an accident or disease, they receive a transplant, right? No, that 's not always right. When a person needs a new organ, they usually face a long term struggle that they may never see the end of, at least while they are alive. The demand for transplant organs is a challenging problem that many people are working to solve. Countries all over the world face the organ shortage epidemic, and they all have different laws regarding what can be done to solve it. However, no country has been able to create a successful plan without causing moral and ethical dilemmas.

Every day, 20 people die because they are unable to receive a vital organ transplant that they need to survive. Some of these people are on organ donation lists and some of them are not. The poor and minorities are disproportionately represented among those who do not receive the organs they need. In the United States alone, nearly 116,000 people are on waiting lists for vital organ transplants. Another name is added to this list every 10 minutes. This paper will argue that organ donation should not be optional. Every person who dies, or enters an irreversible vegetative state with little or no brain function, should have his or her organs-more specifically, those among the organs that are suitable for donation-harvested. A single healthy donor who has died can save up to eight lives (American Transplant Foundation).

Our topic is on organ transplant. We will focus on the process and ethical dilemmas surrounding it. Our group chose this topic because we care and understand that this can happen to our love ones. We want to raise our concern about this worldwide issue, and where the black market for organs come into play. The stakeholders include the people (donors or receivers), doctors, government, businesses, and experts. We will be focusing on the culture and the ethical issues that related to organ transplant, conflict of interests, ethics in the design phases, debt/ financing, and regulation. Since our topic is quite detailed, we will start with what is the precise definition of “brain death” in a heart beating body that is kept

To sell or not to sell, that is the question. There was a story once told about a young man that died from a heart attack way too soon for most people to even consider death. His young nephew asked the adults when they explained that he had died why did they not get the man a new heart? It is not so simple, the adults attempted to explain or indeed it is simpler than one might at first believe? This work intends to conduct an examination of the issue of biomedical ethics as it relates to the cloning and sale of organs. Specifically in regards to the fairness of who will be in receipt of such organs in terms of socio-economic advantages of receiving or alternatively socio-economic disadvantages in terms of not receiving the organs.

Today, only 40% of Americans are registered as organ donors. Over the last 20 years millions and millions of dollars have been spent by lots of wonderful organizations trying to make people aware of the needed of more organ donors (David Undis 83). Over years, some people have argued that the transplant should be based on fairness according to the time waiting on list and been moving to the last ones, and not give it to someone who will take more advantage to it. People who avoid the organ location system by utilizing the exchanges are freeing up organ for people who must remain on the organ waiting list. Every year hundreds of people in the United Kingdom died, while waiting for an organ transplant. Although, the highest number of organ transplant

The legalization of organ sales has been proposed as a solution to two distinct problems. The first is the problem of illegal organ trafficking and the second is the problem of inadequate supplies of organs available for transplants. Gregory (2011) outlined the case for legalizing organ sales by arguing that the current shortage of organs fuels a black market trade that benefits nobody except criminals. He further argues that such a move would add organs to the market, thereby saving the lives of those who would otherwise die without a transplant, while delivering fair value to the person donating the organ. There are a number of problems with the view that legalizing the organ trade is beneficial. Such a move would exacerbate negative health outcomes for the poor, strengthening inequality, but such a move would also violate any reasonable standard of ethics, by inherently placing a price on one's life and health. This paper will expand on these points and make the case that we should not allow people to pay for organs.

To confirm the lack of supply in organ transplantation, it is necessary to assemble some evidence, as derived from the eight steps of policy analysis proposed by Bardach. Aside from the statistics previously stated, while comparative to the ethical discrepancy to which people refute the commercialization of organ sale, as presented by The Atlantic, “there’s a large disparity between the number of people who say that they are in support of donation in theory and the number of people who actually register” (Wen). Furthering to imply that the only individuals that are likely to donate are those that have been personally afflicted by the need of organ donation. For example, an individual whose family member needs a heart/kidney/liver. As society begins to advance technologically, there is a growing lack of empathy, a growing lack of care for other individuals. Relying on the few that claim to support organ donation is a form of regression, especially when it is evident that “more than 123,000 people in the United States are currently on the waiting list of a lifesaving organ transplant” (Facts and Myths), with more individuals “added to the national transplant waiting list

Donating an organ can be a helpful and emotional part of any individual’s life. Many people donate their organs to help people who are in need. Other individuals only feel comfortable donating their organs to family members. Establishing a market for organs could possibly change an individual’s mind on their perspective of only donating to family members. Some people choose not to donate their organs because they fear the after effects of living with one less organ. Certain individuals believe compensation for his or her organs would increase the amount of donors. Others argue that compensation for organs is wrong and no one should be allowed to sell his or her organs. According to Becker and Elias, the kidney is the most commonly transplanted organ (222). An individual can live a perfectly normal life with one kidney. Most individuals waiting for a transplant need a kidney. If an individual is waiting for a kidney they are usually experiencing kidney disease or having problems with their kidneys. Individuals can also donate a part of their liver. Although the liver is not commonly donated until individuals are deceased, some individuals might consider donating a part of their liver to a loved one. Providing monetary value for organs can result in many advantages. The compensation for organs could drastically decrease the death rates and

The United States is facing a challenge. Today there are over 127,000 people waiting for organ donation on the transplant list (Number of U.S. Candidates waiting). In the past thirty years the number of organ donors within the United States has been on a steady rise. As of 2016 the number of organ donors has reached a record high; over 15,000 people have agreed to donate their organs. Although the number of donors may only make a dent in the transplant list, the rise in donations is making a difference in a lot of people’s lives. The recent increase in organ donors is large, especially when compared to its 1999 counterpart of 10,000, or its much smaller 1988 counterpart of 5,000 (Total Number of Organ Donors). Although, the increase in organ donors is needed to meet the high demand for transplants; one of the reasons behind this increase is anything but desirable. Organ donor rates have significantly increased because more young people agree to organ donation, young people are much more susceptible to opioid overdose, and organ recipients are open to accepting any donor organs. The donor registry is made up primarily by young adults aged eighteen to forty-nine (Number of Donors by Age). The reasoning behind this phenomenon is simply because young adults have been told that they have healthier organs; while mature adults, those aged 50 and

Paid organ donation is an emotive subject in the transplant community. Part of the reason for this is that in many countries, including the UK, the notion of organ donation as a ‘gift’ is highly valued. The difference between a gift and a commodity is clearly understood and applies equally to living as well as deceased organ donation. In the UK, legislation prohibits commercial dealings in human material for transplantation (Human Tissue act 2004 (England and Northern Ireland)1 and 2006 (Scotland)2).