Money Can't But You Happiness, But It Can Buy You An Organ

     Recently, Steve Jobs of Apple received a liver transplant that has him returning to back to work soon while others are still on the waiting list for their transplant. Jobs’ transplant opened the dialogue for the varying wait times from state to state throughout the nation.

 

     In terms of ethics, Dr. Arthur Caplan, Chair of the Department for Medical Ethics and Director of the Center for Bioethics, believes it is wrong that Jobs’ financial status gave him an advantage. “The real question is can money buy you special access to life saving transplants?” Dr. Caplan asked Joan Hamburg on The Joan Hamburg Show WOR 710. His answer is yes.

 

     Dr. Caplan said Jobs bought his way onto the transplant list in Tennessee where he the surgery was done. The process Jobs went through to get on this list was something the average citizen does not have the access to. Dr. Caplan explained that first a doctor has to detect the need for a liver transplant. Next, Jobs had to make the trip to the transplant center in TN so the doctors there could determine if there was a requirement for a liver transplant which cost a significant amount out of pocket. Lastly, one must be a resident in the state for the procedure to be done. Overall, Jobs did not do anything illegal, but his financial stability helped him “shop the list”, said Dr. Caplan.

 

      The average wait time for a liver transplant in TN is about 48 days, while nationally the average time in other states is 306 days. Essentially, Jobs bought himself onto the TN list giving him the ability to get the transplant quicker than most. Although Jobs transplant was necessary since he was suffering from neuroendocrine cancer, Dr. Caplan said the transplant will not necessarily save a life because it can reoccur in the liver. He said the cancer can spread in the new liver as well.

 

     As for the ethics of this issue, Dr. Caplan said the system should not let people do what Jobs did because it is ethically wrong to move around the country for a transplant. He said you cannot let people go around the country to put themselves on a priority list.