US organ donors afraid of affecting health insurance

A fresh review conducted by the American Journal of Transplantation has found that organ donors may find themselves facing difficulty with their life insurance and health insurance . Insurance companies claim that they do not consider this an issue for those who donate a kidney of part of their liver.

The study has found differently. The author of the review, Robert Yang, reportedly commented: Insurance companies, when surveyed, stated they would insure living kidney donors, and would usually not charge higher premiums. Despite that, 3-11 percent of donors still experienced insurance problems.

Concerns over insurance complications could influence a donor to reconsider their donation. The study suggests that more information should be made available: Even if donors are willing to accept the risks of non-insurability and/or higher insurance premiums, transplant professionals still have an ethical obligation to protect donor freedom of choice while ensuring that donors do not suffer unnecessary stress or financial penalty. Yang commented.