Shut up and die already...

MSNBC has this article on a guy who got a liver transplant after putting up billboards and a website..

It ends with this money quote:

Officials with the United Network for Organ Sharing, and their affiliates, believe public pleas for directed donations, like what Todd Krampitz did, run the risk of bypassing the established allocation system and can create an uneven playing field for all individuals on the national waiting list for organs.

The nerve of Todd Krampitz, taking creative steps to get an organ and thus continue living. He should have just let the United Network for Organ Sharing take care of it, and instead died waiting for it. But better an even playing field than a life saved, at least if you are the United Network for Organ Sharing.

I've always been an advocate of organ sales, much to the derision of everyone I know. But right now the supply of organs is well below the demand, and when supply is less than demand, a higher price usually prompts more sellers to sell and thus pushes up supply, and eventually pushes down price. But it's illegal to sell an organ, so nobody can offer a price above $0, so supply never goes up.

Cato has good commentary on organ supply here. I like their conclusion:

While many feel that the distribution of organs is too important to be left to market forces, ultimately, it is too important not to be.