Answer 1
As per a health report, around 5 people in United States die every day waiting for organ to be transplanted. The Health Care department is concerned with the shortage of organs and increasing demand on the other hand. At present, around 100,000 patients are in the waiting list for a donated organ which includes, kidney, hearts, liver and intestines. Furthermore, as the population grows older and with increasing health care issues in US populations, this scarcity and pressure seems to grow as waiting lists are growing at much higher rate than the supply of organs.
Answer 2
Since, even policymakers are concerned with growing scarcity of organ as everyday hard choices are made about who will get the organ and who will not.
Introduction of the price system, where the donors could be paid by their consumers i.e patients who are ready to pay for the organ, can be a solution to this scarcity. Under this system, price of organs will be fixed on the basis of demand-supply mechanism. Suppliers will be the individuals, who will voluntarily donate their organs for a price and, the buyers will be the patient themselves and the intersection of the price required by the donors and the price which the buyers are willing to pay for the organs will be the equilibrium price for organs.
a) However, since price system for organs is illegal, other proxy/non-price system could also be developed with features including:
- Since, transplants rarely turn successful for patients above 75 years, such patients will not be included in the waiting list.
- The waiting list should be prepared in the order of priority and children should be alloted the organs; before the adults above 60 years even.
- Refusing transplant approval to foreigners and illegal aliens.
b) If the agreement goes to fixing a price system for organs, in such case the old billionaire will be allotted the organ, which is against the need of the society. However, if the price system for organs is held to be illegal, in such case, the non-price allotment will be successful and will be in the interest of the society.
Answer 3
Since, the price system is illegal, the only government intervention, which could be in the interest of the society is that the government itself purchases the organs and fix the price for the organs and enforcing conditions for sale. The people in favor of this proposal asserts that, by this method, rich people will be able to get the organs while the non-proxy sources will still allocate the organs to needy individuals. By this way, both the sections of the society can be satisfied.
Works Cited
Caplan, Arthur. Organ Transplantation. 14 February 2014 <http://www.thehastingscenter.org/Publications/BriefingBook/Detail.aspx?id=2198>.
