I didn’t realize that these private, “non-profit”, Gov’t authorized organ procurement entities have about a $1.7 MM financial interest in each body harvested, with executives and staffers paid like private equity hands.
free link:
https://wapo.st/4r1Xc4U
from the comments,
{{ William A Miller Jr
I worked in a Medical Examiner’s office in Florida and routinely (at least once a week) dealt with Organ Procurement Organizations. While there are some altruistic reasons for OPO’s, make no mistake, there is an incredible monetary incentive for recovered viable organs for transplant. Back in 2018, just before I retired, the value of a human body for organ harvest was in the neighborhood of $1.7 million! OPO’s have highly paid staff members who have the responsibility for “convincing” people to allow “harvest” of their loved one’s organs. At the time these “Coordinators” made upwards of $90,000/year. Any person attempting to prevent the harvest found themselves involved in a legal battle with a well-funded organization.
The donation and harvesting of organs is a for-profit business, at least as far as the people employed within the industry, regardless of a non-profit tax status. I wish I knew a way to donate my organs so that this for-profit group was bypassed and my donation was totally altruistic and not a means to make money on behalf of those with less honorable intentions. }}
Of course, there may well be more corruption in Florida than elsewhere. But this appears to be an industry-wide problem. Just like the “skim, scam and fraud” in Medicare Advantage, or the deleterious effects of any Private Equity involvement in Health Care.
intercst