A free market for kidneys: options, futures, forward, and spot

Abstract

There is a significant body of literature explaining how a free market for kidneys would eliminate both the economic and the medical shortage of kidneys and thus, in addition to supplying sufficient kidneys for those who become needy in the future, remove the entire backlog of 40,000+ patients waiting for a kidney transplant in the United States. This article is an attempt to fathom the financial and market processes that would evolve were a free market for kidneys to be permitted. Issues addressed include the types of institutions that would likely develop, how transactions would be facilitated, and what would happen to the price of kidneys both in the short and long term.

Medical Economics: Legalize Organ Markets

“…Strong critics of legal free markets in this commodity include Wilkinson (2003); Etzioni (n.d); Scheper-Hughes ( 2005); Caplan (2013); Bramstedt (2014). Supporters of legalization are also very adamant in presenting their case are Anderson (2003); Anderson and Barnett (1999); ; Barnett (1988); Barnett, Saliba, & Walker (2001); Barnett and Saliba, (2004); Beard, Jackson, & Kaserman (2007-2008; Block et al (1999Block et al ( -2000; Block (1987; Carey (2002); Cherry (1999), Clay & Block (2002). Additionally, the poor people would be the ones who would need to sell their body parts for money, since the rich people would not need the money.…”

Organi

“…6 Za slučajeve koji se zalažu za legalizaciju, vidi: Anderson, 2003;Anderson & Barnett, 1999;Barnett, 1988;Barnett, Saliba & Walker, 2001;Barnett & Saliba, 2004;Beard, Jackson & Kaserman, 2007-2008Block, Whitehead, Johnson, Davidson, White & Chandler, 1999-2000Block, 1987Carey, 2002;Cherry, 1999;Clay & Block, 2002;Farber, 2015A, 2015B;Garner & Block, 2008;Hall, 2015;Healy, 2006;Hippen, 2008;Kaserman, 2002;Kaserman & Barnett, 2002;Malek, 2001;Richards, 2001;Taylor, 2005Taylor, , 2006Taylor, , 2007Wilkinson, 2003;Young, 2004. 7 U tu svrhu bi molili, posuđivali, možda čak i krali. Čak bi se prodali u ropstvo kako bi spasili svoje potomstvo.…”

“…5 The current system is problematic by not providing fair compensation for kidney donors and not providing a choice to those who would benefit financially from selling a kidney. 6 For the case in favor of legalization, see Anderson, 2003;Anderson & Barnett, 1999;Barnett, 1988;Barnett, Saliba & Walker, 2001;Barnett & Saliba, 2004;Beard, Jackson & Kaserman, 2007-2008Block, Whitehead, Johnson, Davidson, White & Chandler, 1999-2000Block, 1987Carey, 2002;Cherry, 1999;Clay & Block, 2002;Farber, 2015A, 2015B;Garner & Block, 2008;Hall, 2015;Healy, 2006;Hippen, 2008;Kaserman, 2002;Kaserman & Barnett, 2002;Malek, 2001;Richards, 2001;Taylor, 2005Taylor, , 2006Taylor, , 2007Wilkinson, 2003;Young, 2004. 9 Naravno, nikome se ne bi smjelo dopustiti da maše (vlastitim) rukama u gužvi jer bi to predstavljalo prijetnju drugima.…”

‘I am only half alive’: Organ trafficking in Pakistan amid interlocking oppressions

“…Just like the robust debates on sex trafficking and prostitution, the literature on organ trade and trafficking showcases the contesting views of scholars who emphasize the lack of choice and those who implicitly assume ‘sellers’ make a ‘choice.’ The debates around the relative benefits of legalizing organ selling to mitigate exploitation of people for organ harvesting is based on these differing assumptions. Some scholars (e.g., Barnett II and Saleba, 2004; Clay and Block, 2002; Dworkin, 1994; Gregory, 2011) opine that individuals should have control over their own bodies and the right to take decisions regarding selling their body parts. Legitimizing trade or selling or buying of human organs would help to balance the gap between demand and supply of human organs, and minimize the exploitation involved in organ trade as donors are not paid the fair or promised price.…”