Financial Incentives Could Improve Organ Donation and Reduce Donor-Recipient Gap

CHICAGO, June 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the AMA adopted policy
calling for the modification of current law to allow pilot studies on
financial incentives for cadaveric organ donation. The current law, the
National Organ Transplantation Act, prohibits financial incentives for organ
donation, stating that any motivation for donation other than altruism is
unethical. The AMA already supports study into financial incentives for
cadaveric organ donation.
"Today there are nearly 100,000 patients waiting for organ transplants of
all types, and that number continues to grow," said AMA Board Member Joseph
Annis, M.D. "Exploring all ethical ways to increase the number of organ
donations may save lives that may otherwise be tragically lost. Voluntary
organ donation remains important, but motivational incentives that could
increase organ donations -- including financial incentives -- must be
studied."
SOURCE American Medical Association

Mollie Turner, AMA Media Relations, +1-202-789-7430,
mollie.turner@ama-assn.org