title: A controlled auction market is a practical solution to the shortage of transplantable organs.
abstract: All attempts relying on pure altruism to meet the demand for transplantable donor organs have failed and continue to fail. The incentive of commercialization of an organ market would seem to be the only practical solution at this time. It is almost impossible to set fixed prices for such priceless items as human organs. The only fair, honest, and feasible approach is the establishment of a free and voluntary national or international auction system under the strict supervision and control of an exclusive, specially created administrative entity free of governmental or other partisan interference. The resultant flow of funds could be enormous and would enhance the welfare of all strata of society. Wealthy buyers would be removed from current waiting lists; the donor pool greatly expanded to perhaps surplus; the resultant money used to relieve the financial burdens on families involved, hospitals, insurance companies--and also used to buy organs for the indigent on waiting lists, pay for surgeries and hospitalization, and thereby increase the income and surgical experience of more surgeons. This proposed new system should include all live as well as brain-dead donors, cadavers and consenting individuals facing purposeful and pointless destruction by judicial execution.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kevorkian
mesh_terms: D000533:Altruism; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D018594:Human Body; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D038622:Internationality; D008389:Marketing of Health Services / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D011203:Poverty; D018570:Risk Assessment; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D014850:Waiting Lists