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Wall Street speculates on kidney transplant market

By: Dr. Samori Swygert

When people hear about selling your body, their psyche will typically project the image of prostitution or human trafficking. However, the demand for human organs is at a premium, and the healthcare industry is poised to play as an active participant.

I had the opportunity to read a brilliant article by Gary Becker, and Julio Elias from the Wall Street Journal. They elucidated the market demand, the associated reasons, and the parameters that will govern the economics of organ transplantation.

What are the facts?

According to Becker and Elias, the average waiting period for a kidney transplant is approximately 4.5 years. The population of the kidney waiting list has basically doubled over 10 years from, 54,000 to 95,000 in 2012. The list is inclusive of both genders, and all age brackets. Individuals that have yet to receive a kidney remain on dialysis (a mechanized filtration system of the blood). The average length of survival of a middle aged person on dialysis is approximately 8 years. However, if blessed and afforded to receive a kidney transplant, their life expectancy gains another 24 years. The authors of the article sadly reported that nearly 4,500 people died waiting for a kidney transplant in 2012.

“Time is money”

The sheer inconvenience of having to routinely schedule your whole life around numerous dialysis sessions can be overwhelming emotionally and mentally. That in itself is an expense, the cost of peace of mind. Well peace of mind is definitely disturbed with the actual monetary pricing of dialysis and kidney transplants. Dialysis is a big ticket item on household budgets, because they average $80,000 per year. You must then consider the 4.5 year wait time for receiving one. That equation generates a figured expense of ~$ 350,000 from the cost of waiting alone. The actual kidney transplant costs approximately $150,000, and you must still factor in the pharmaceutical expense for taking anti-rejection drugs for the kidney.

Maneuvering the market

To combat the wait time, save money, and save lives, many people and institutions are engaging in KIDNEY EXCHANGES. This process facilitates and expedites the kidney donor/recipient matching process. The problem is just finding a kidney, you must find a kidney that’s compatible with the blood type and tissue match of both recipient and donor, or the recipient’s body will reject it.

To meet the market demand for kidneys, proposals are being floated around for paying people for their kidneys. Humans can live with one functional kidney, however many express reservations of parting with their organs. The trepidation revolves around many reasons such as: fear of the risks associated with surgery, fear of lifestyle change, and time away from work. To account for the fear, the authors propose a 3 month mandatory waiting period to allow donors to really think things through.

The price tag reported in the article ranges from a low of $5000 to a high of $15,000 per kidney. The United States is not the only country considering this type of monetary-medical policy. In fact, America is looking at its’ very own enemy, Iran, as a model. Iran pays $4000 per kidney, and boasts a drastic reduction to virtual obsolescence of waiting times.

This costs an arm and a leg…or Kidney

The noted concerns in this new proposal is that this would construct a morally inhumane soliciting of the poor and disenfranchised. The same way many individuals in financial binds will pawn items, or take out payday title loans, many people may turn to kidney donation as a financial solution. Rather than donating a kidney to be physiologically philanthropic, individuals may resort to this. Economic climates like today, where unemployment is rampant, may provide an alternative means of revenue that wasn’t previously available. The ultimate conclusion can be immense regret, especially considering that economics is a temporary and ever changing dynamic. Kidney donation is very absolute and finite as opposed to sperm and egg donation where several reproductive cells are left.

Bottom line

In capitalism, everything is for sale, everything has a price, and everything can be negotiated. Based on the capitalistic genetic makeup of America, I believe this will happen. People must establish their own moral codes, altruistic/humanitarian philosophies, and system of priorities. Organ donation is very noble, but I think you should do it for the right reasons. Determine your reasons, be confident and comfortable with your choice.

Individuals should also note that the biotech industry is also developing body organs that are just like your internal organs. This also brings the importance of good diet, health, and exercise. These lifestyle modifications can cut down on the development of numerous conditions like kidney disease, heart conditions, and etc.

This seems like something that should be debated in Obamacare. I can easily say that I received $15,000 for donating a kidney, but every year a person lives from my kidney should be tax deductible as per donating to life and reducing the strain on the United States Healthcare budget! There are a lot of incentives and scenarios that should be reviewed if this system of pay for organs is approved. We also must consider the loss in revenue from the medical device industry when the demand for dialysis drops.

Lastly, there would also have to be some regulatory commission to investigate if people were coerced into donations by Black Market Organ Harvesting operations, and the origin of kidneys to be sold in the market. Also, why did the kidney waiting list double in 10 years?

Even Facebook sees opportunity

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has even thrown his hat in the ring to facilitate transplants using his database network. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/abc-news-exclusive-facebook-tool-helps-organ-donors/story?id=16244991

Check out the source links and tell me your thoughts.

Sources

by: Dr. Samori Swygert

John Kerry has just pledged another $380 million dollars to Syria for humanitarian aid, and this brings it to a total of $1.7 Billion dollars… Okay, let that linger and simmer for a second.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/15/world/meast/us-syria-aid/

So what’s all this talk about debt ceiling, sequestration, fiscal cliffs, recession, furloughs all about? What’s all the talk about cutting SNAP, cutting long term unemployment insurance, destruction of pensions about?

We are not in a war with Syria? We haven’t destroyed Syria? So why are your tax dollars going over to Syria, while people are going poor right here in America? America’s priorities are in complete disarray! How many families are getting displaced daily due to increased cost of living compounded with low wage jobs that stubborn companies refuse to raise despite booms in revenue?

Unemployment reports come out that hold no water. They drop a half percent and the news media acts like the citizens should be jumping for joy. They don’t comment on the type of jobs that are obtained. Many of these jobs don’t provide gainful employment. By that I mean this, a job that generates enough revenue to cover your living expenses with adequate surplus for savings and an opportunities to progress in the field. I mean slaves had jobs, and they were paid in food, water, and whips. Yes, the unemployment rate for slaves was extremely low, all of them had a job, right?

Don’t act like 1000 people getting hired at McDonald’s is a step in the right direction. Certainly it is work, but lets be real, you cant work at McDonald’s and support yourself in today’s economic atmosphere. Why do you think McDonald’s employees are striking all over the nation. Their income doesn’t compliment their routine expenses.

So when we can send a total of $1.7 billion dollars to a country we don’t have any ownership to, we are contributing to the bankrupting of America and subjugation of the poor and middle class. We are completely ignoring their issues. Is America being economically and fiscally patriotic to it’s own citizens? This is fiscal negligence.

However, we sit quietly by, assuming or hoping that things will change, but our apathy is shocking. Are you okay knowing that we still have to readdress the debt ceiling of $17 Trillion dollars, but your taxes go to Syria for ___________(you fill in the blank)? So each and every time a foreign government makes poor choices on governing their people, the American citizens have to pick up the tab?

Hmmm lets see,….. we’ve bailed out the banks, bailed out the housing market, bailed out the auto industry, now we’re bailing out Syria. All of this done with our tax dollars. Well who is bailing out the American citizen that is bankrolling the bailouts for everybody else?

I’m not saying that I wish ill will and hatred on Syrian people, because I don’t. However, imagine this ladies and gentlemen. Suppose your baby had pneumonia, your wife is unemployed, and bills are due. How would the husband look taking his paycheck and spending it on a family around the corner to help get their kitchen remodeled? Who is this man’s loyalty, and allegiance to? The only other reason I can think about is if the nation is engaging in “global loan sharking”, lending money to foreign nations at high interest rates in exchange for control, and I hope it’s not that!

Either way I hope we see this. The American citizens can use that money right here and right now in America for job creation, and other social services. I highly recommend that you read my other article to see the perspective I’m coming from as we pop bottles, watch the game, watch TV, but not watching our own destruction. Many of us are in denial and can’t see that we are being slow walked off the plank. How many of you know someone that is unemployed, just laid off, lost their home, or you’re helping a relative get back on their feet from today’s economy?

Until next time… wash your hands, exercise 30 minutes a day, love your family, save and invest your money, help somebody, eat healthy and pray…..Dr. Swygert signing off.

http://financialjuneteenth.com/dr-samori-swygert-explains-corporate-greed-will-destroy-america/