In the US, the National Organ Transplant Act prohibits the assignment of monetary value to an organ for transplantation, thus,  in theory, preventing commerce in human organs.  Health officials encourage goodwill as incentive to donate organs.  And Yet, according to this report, the current price for a woman's kidney in Bombay is $1,000 and in urban Latin America a kidney can fetch more than $10,000.  In schemes to obtain a kidney overseas and have it transplanted in the US several hundred thousand dollars can change hands, unrelated to the surgery itself.

Several proposals have been before Congress on this complex medical, social and ethical issue.  Where will it lead as thousands benefit from organ transplantation and others wait for organs to arrive before it's too late.  For a copy of this script and the journal reference, access our web site--speakingofhealth.com.  Speaking of Health, I'm Dr. Steven Andrew Davis, for CBS News.

N Engl J Med, Vol. 346, No. 25 June 20, 2002. Pgs. 2002-2005