Kidneys for sale–a million bucks OBO

The 2007 Ann F. Baum Memorial Elder Law Lecture will be presented on Monday, March 5 at 12:30 P.M. in the Auditorium by Dr. Sally L. Satel, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C. on “When Altruism Isn’t Enough: The Worsening Organ Shortage, What It Means for Seniors, and What To Do About It.”

Dr. Satel’s thesis is that organ donors, whether they are living or deceased, should be compensated to increase the supply of transplantable organs available. She will examine the specific issue of renal failure as a major problem affecting older people and how donated kidneys can ensure better outcomes for the affected elderly compared to dialysis. She will also consider implications for Medicare, which funds the very costly end stage renal disease program. Finally, she will evaluate current efforts to restructure the allocation system of donated kidneys that discriminates against older potential recipients on the basis of age.