HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, May 6 (Lifesitenews.com) – A panel of advisers to Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge has come up with a plan to pay for organ donations. A 1984 federal law makes paying for organs a criminal offense, but the panel is sure that their plan is legal. The fact that the money will be given to funeral homes, not to relatives, appears to be the basis for their claim that the initiative complies with the law.
The plan would see funeral homes given $300 dollars for organ donations to defer funeral expenses. A trust fund set up to start the organ purchasing has $800,000 ready to be spent. Because the plan allows for a maximum of US$3,000 per family, families can only receive payment for the organs of to 10 members.
For more see the New York Times:
Pennsylvania Set to Break Taboo on Money for Organs