Why don't we have for-profit organ donor organizations?

First off, I can see lots of poor people who could really use the income it would provide.

Be secondly, how is it any different from ANY other for-profit health organization???

It seems to me that the inclusion of the "for-profit" model into our health care system is what is directly responsible for the huge mess that we are in, so why can't we just totally remove it, using the same exact rationale that we use for not allowing for-profit organ donation?

I'm serious. Why?

And a related question: why is suicide illegal but it's ok for our health care institutions to kill us (by neglect)?

whose health is already damaged by neglect but this would bring it to the point of abuse

why we allow other for-profit health carej, because the result is the same.

... already. Why the hell should we allow one more form of barbarism in the world to drag us down to that level?

Hekate

because the result is the same.

It's a double standard.

If you can't afford health care it's proof you're a loser and deserve whatever crap life you have.

Oh...

:sarcasm:

I also wish it were merely sarcasm, but we both know that it's the truth.

Hold your horses.

and that's why financial inducement to donate a kidney or lobe of one's liver to a stranger brings up some thorny ethical issues.

However, I can see financial inducement to families for post mortem donation enlarging the donor pool without those thorny ethical issues. The dead risk nothing.

... after many weeks in the hospital.

Some financial inducement for post-mortem donation might be helpful, though -- like waiving the hospital bills, maybe?

Hekate

People are generally squeamish about classifying human organs as commodities.

kinda like selling blood/platelets by taken to a higher degree

as an interesting intellectual/philosophical exercise. If that's the case....fine. But in reality if you don't already know the answer, it's high unlikely then that anyone on this board would be able to explain it to you.

What I'm *actually* asking about is why we allow for-profit health care.

Am I the only one who sees the parallel?

The is no parallel between allowing a doctor or a hospital or a medical researcher etc... to make a profit for the service they provide and the trafficking of human organs. There is simply no parallel.

By the way I did read the OP

and I can ASSURE you that everyone there is doing just fine, financially.

Non-profit does not mean that people work for free, unless you didn't realize that.

Of course they don't work for free. I'm not sure what I said that would make you think that I thought otherwise or what difference that it makes. There is still no parallel between a people making a profit in the medical field and the trafficking of human organs.

I think you would have better success making this a property rights issue argument instead of "hey, a bunch of assholes are making a bunch of money and poor people can't afford health care so therefore why don't we allow people to sale their organs? It's the same thing right?" argument. At least in theory there are some parallels to selling your organs and property law. In fact enough that it warranted a discussion in my Property Law Class.

the same moral outrage that revolts us at the thought of selling organs should exist for the concept of pricing health care out of the reach of so many such that they die because of it.

I must not be a very clear communicator.

Where you and I differ is that I don't believe, as you apparently do, that the two are morally equivalent. In my opinion they are two different issues with different moral and ethical implications.

You are drawing a moral equivalent between someone making a profit off of their hard work in the medical trade and someone profiting in human organ trafficking. I see no moral equivalent. While reasonable people may differ on what constitutes a moral/immoral profit for someone in our medical system, the idea of profit itself is not immoral. Making a profit in the trafficking of human organs is inherently immoral regardless of the amount of profit. That is why your analogy fails. There is no parallel.

either. So, I hear ya. You make a valid point, actually.


I would not ever support for-profit organ donations for obvious moral and ethical reasons (despite the fact that what is taking place now is equally immoral and barbaric), but I happen to be in favor of decriminalizing suicide and assisted suicide.

Of course I'm opposed to for-profit organ donation.

I haven't read the thread, but I knew there would be people here in this thread accusing you of advocating pro-profit organ donations, LOL!

Don't be surprised if you get flamed and unrec'd, either. :) (I actually rec'd BTW, because I found your post thought-provoking. :hi: )

And sometimes we can pretty much agree on the particular ethic.