Future Retirement Success
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks

Future Retirement Success

Investing

Legalizing Organ Sales

by May 25, 2023
May 25, 2023

Jeffrey Miron

This article appeared on SubStack on May 25, 2023.

Organ sales are illegal in the United States and most other countries (Iran is a partial exception). The National Organ Transplantation Act of 1984 states, “it shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly acquire, receive, or otherwise transfer any human organ for valuable consideration for use in human transplantation if the transfer affects interstate commerce.” The penalty for breaking the law is a fine of $50,000 or up to five years in prison, or both.

In Libertarian Land, organ markets are legal. This makes everyone better off.

Consider first kidneys. People have two but can live normally with one. If the kidney market were legal, a person whose kidneys fail could purchase from a willing seller, and both could then live healthy lives.

The seller would risk that their remaining kidney might cease to function, but in a legal market, the supply of kidneys would be large and the price low, so such persons could likely buy a kidney from some future seller.

The situation is similar for liver transplants; recipients need only a partial transplant, and the donor’s remaining liver regenerates.

What about more extreme cases, where someone wants to sell a heart or other vital organ?

Such behavior might sound irrational, but imagine an aging parent in poor health (unrelated to their heart) who could earn a large sum by, in effect, committing suicide and selling their heart. The income might make it possible for that person’s children to attend better schools, or migrate to a safer country, or escape poverty. All at little cost to the quantity or quality of the seller’s life.

Why should policy interfere with such a trade? This act benefits the organ recipient as well, so it makes all participants better off. Most real world examples are less extreme, but the same principles apply.

One possible objection to legal organ markets is that some people might sell out of desperation, against their long term interest. A reasonable response is to require informed consent, rather than banning the organ market.

A second possible objection is that only the rich will benefit from legalized sales. That is unlikely, since the increased supply of organs due to legalization will drive organ prices down. Plus, private or public charities can subsidize organ purchases for low income patients, while keeping the trade legal to foster greater supply. Government funding for organ purchases might even pay for itself by improving recipient health and reducing public expenditure on health care (e.g., dialysis treatment for kidney failure).

Thus a legal market for organ sales would have the key feature of other markets: voluntary exchange that benefits both sides of the transactions.

0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
UKRI hit with £36m IR35 bill, taking non-compliance in public sector to £300m
next post
My Thoughts on Letters in Black and White

You may also like

California Corruption and Zoning Reform

September 4, 2024

The State of Student Loan Forgiveness: April 2024

April 1, 2024

Can Argentina’s President Milei Afford to Delay Dollarization?

December 14, 2023

Friday Feature: Navigate School Choice

October 25, 2024

The FDA Finally Removes a Huge Barrier to...

March 7, 2025

If You Spend Time in Jail Because the...

February 15, 2024

Secret Service Spending

July 17, 2024

Biden‐​McCarthy Deal a Modest Start

May 31, 2023

Rep. Miller‐​Meeks’ OTC Act Might Nudge the FDA...

July 14, 2023

Governor Newsom Claims Florida Has More Per Capita...

December 1, 2023

    Get free access to all of the retirement secrets and income strategies from our experts! or Join The Exclusive Subscription Today And Get the Premium Articles Acess for Free

    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Recent Posts

    • Musk feud presents ‘unprecedented’ dynamic compared to past Trump disputes: expert

      June 7, 2025
    • Snub of Musk’s NASA nominee ally preceded sudden ‘big, beautiful bill’ criticism, Trump feud

      June 6, 2025
    • Supreme Court rules DOGE can access Social Security information

      June 6, 2025
    • US sanctions money laundering network aiding Iran as regime faces nuclear reprimand at IAEA

      June 6, 2025
    • From Tariffs to Tech: Where Smart Money’s Moving Right Now

      June 6, 2025
    • Your Weekly Stock Market Snapshot: What It Means for Your Investments

      June 6, 2025

    Categories

    • Business (8,149)
    • Investing (2,019)
    • Politics (15,556)
    • Stocks (3,134)
    • About us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: futureretirementsuccess.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 futureretirementsuccess.com | All Rights Reserved