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Managing America: Health

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Week Ending February 16, 2006

S.487 A bill to amend the National Organ Transplant Act to clarify that kidney paired donations shall not be considered to involve the transfer of a human organ for valuable consideration.

The National Organ Transplant Act is amended to provide that a ‘paired donation’ of kidneys is not considered a human organ transfer for a value consideration.

Paired donations work like this: Person A needs a kidney. Person B has a kidney to spare but it is not compatible with Person A. Person B’s kidney is, however compatible with Person C and Person C’s kidney is compatible with Person A. So, Person B donates a kidney to Person C who then donates a compatible kidney to Person A.

This process has been proven successful in providing more kidney transplants when compatible kidneys are short supply compared to demand. The bill essentially makes the swaps less expensive by considering it not a transfer for value consideration.

Sponsor:  Senator Carl Levin (D-MI)

Vote: Passed Senate by Unanimous Consent February 15, 2007

Cost to the taxpayers: No discernible cost

Earmark Certification:   Not applicable to this bill.

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