Does Health Equity Have an Expiration Date?

Does Health Equity Have an Expiration Date?

There are hopes and challenges with the Affordable Care Act. The greatest hope is that more uninsured Americans will have coverage and more families will experience better health care outcomes. However, one of the largest challenges lies in how disproportionately chronic diseases affect low-income, racial and ethnic minorities, the elderly and underserved populations. Today’s Washington Post article by Rob Stein article on kidney donation recipients delivers yet another caveat to health equity: younger, healthier people would have preference over older, sicker patients for best kidneys. The idea is reasonable but who wants to place an expiration date on viable life? This criteria proposed by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), is coming under scrutiny by several persons, including an associate professor of surgery at Ohio State University. Per the article, kidneys are the most sought after organ for donation. Teens, grandma, aunts…who deserves a better shot at life? What age determines when you are no longer a viable option for prolonging life? We must continue to seek health equity for everyone.

Highlighted Clip for Thursday, February 24, 2011:

"Under kidney transplant proposal, younger patients would get the best organs"

Instead of giving priority primarily to patients who have been on the waiting list longest, the new rules would match recipients and organs to a greater extent based on factors such as age and health to try to maximize the number of years provided by each kidney - the most sought-after organ for transplants.  By: Rob Stein