I honestly don’t know what I would have guessed if asked which country has the highest rate of living donors. Surely not the United States, with all the financial disincentives—yes, we’re chipping away at them—that still exist.

The answer is Israel, and a recent article in the Forward explains why: largely a result of a dedicated effort spearheaded by a nonprofit group called Matnat Chaim, Hebrew for “gift of life.” Matnat Chaim was founded in 2009 by Rabbi Yeshayahu Heber (a transplant recipient himself, who died years later from covid) and his wife, Rachel.

I’ve long lobbied for and reported here on efforts to support living donation in the United States through the Living Donor Protection Act and other measures. The LDPA is really a very modest step to ensure that life, disability, and long-term care insurance plans can’t discriminate against/penalize living donors; it also would codify the federal regulation that now allows living donors to claim Family and Medical Leave Act protections so they don’t risk losing their job while on leave. Closer than it’s ever been to passage, even this meager legislation has been in the works since 2014!

In contrast, Israel grants one-month paid leave and lower health insurance premiums to living donors—a requirement that began in 2008. If only that were the law here! So many people who can’t afford to take time off work to donate (and may not qualify for financial assistance from the National Living Donor Assistance Center, National Kidney Registry, or other major sources) might be able to consider donation.

Good job, Matnat Chaim! Thanks for setting such a good example. I hope the rest of us can catch up soon.

For related posts, resources, and information on The Insider’s Guide to Living Kidney Donation, be sure to explore the rest of my website.