A few months ago I wrote here about a movement to offer tax credits to nondirected kidney donors–that is, healthy, eligible candidates who are willing to donate to anyone in need through a U.S. transplant center. The first step is to modify the law that says you can’t compensate organ donors: NOTA (National Organ Transplant Act). The Coalition to Modify NOTA, founded by donation advocates Elaine Perlman and Ned Brooks, has been actively lobbying members of Congress to get behind the End Kidney Deaths Act bill.
Why? The short answer is to increase the number of people who donate and thus to save more lives.
It has since been introduced in the House of Representatives, with bipartisan sponsors: two Republicans (Reps. Nicole Malliotakis of New York and Don Bacon of Nebraska) and two Democrats (Reps. Josh Harder of California and Joe Neguse of Colorado). A recent article in Vox, by Dylan Matthews, who happens to be a nondirected donor, provides an excellent summary and a close look at the arguments that have been raised. It makes for a thought-provoking read.
I support the concept and the bill. Check it out. If you do, too, please contact your member of Congress and tell them to cosponsor it.
For related posts, resources, and information on The Insider’s Guide to Living Kidney Donation, be sure to explore the rest of my website.
Could You Be a Kidney Donor? What to Expect If You Give the Greatest Gift 