Thomson Reuters-NPR Health Poll Finds Majority of Americans Support Compensation for Organ Donors

ANN ARBOR, Mich. and WASHINGTON, May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A majority of Americans believe live organ donors should be afforded compensation in the form of healthcare credits for their donation, and it should come from health insurance companies, according to the Thomson Reuters-NPR Health Poll.

Thomson Reuters and NPR conduct a monthly poll to gauge attitudes and opinions on a wide range of health issues.

The survey, which asked respondents their opinions on potential compensation for organ donation, found that 60 percent of Americans are in favor of providing benefits in the form of healthcare credits to organ donors.  46.3 percent said tax credits would be an appropriate reimbursement.

When asked to put a dollar amount on what donors should be allowed to collect, 37 percent said less than $10,000. 27 percent said a range in between $10,000 and $24,999. Seven percent said there should be no monetary compensation.

Despite being steeped in controversy because of a perceived parallel between compensation for donation and buying organs, 60 percent of respondents indicated a distinction between the two; a rate that tended to decrease with increasing age.

"The advance of medical technology with respect to organ donation has been astounding in recent years, making once hopeless cases completely curable," said Raymond Fabius, M.D., chief medical officer at the healthcare business of Thomson Reuters.  "Given the potential of the science, it only makes sense that we support donors, particularly with their health related future costs and the majority of our survey respondents seem to support this approach to compensation."

To date, the Thomson Reuters-NPR Health Poll has explored numerous health topics, including generic drugs, abortion, vaccines, food allergies, and organic and genetically modified foods. NPR's reports on the surveys are archived online at the Shots health blog here:

Thomson Reuters maintains a library of poll results here.

The Thomson Reuters-NPR Health Poll is powered by the Thomson Reuters PULSE(SM) Healthcare Survey, an independently funded, nationally representative telephone poll that collects information about health-related behaviors and attitudes and healthcare utilization from more than 100,000 US households annually. Survey questions are developed in conjunction with NPR. The figures in this month's poll are based on 3,015 participants interviewed from December 1-13, 2011. The margin of error is 1.8 percent.

For a copy of the full survey, click here.

About Thomson Reuters
Thomson Reuters is the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals.  We combine industry expertise with innovative technology to deliver critical information to leading decision makers in the financial, legal, tax and accounting, healthcare and science and media markets, powered by the world's most trusted news organization.  With headquarters in New York and major operations in London and Eagan, Minnesota, Thomson Reuters employs more than 55,000 people and operates in over 100 countries.  For more information, go to www.thomsonreuters.com.

About NPR
NPR is an award-winning, multimedia news organization and an influential force in American life. In collaboration with more than 900 independent public radio stations nationwide, NPR strives to create a more informed public - one challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding and appreciation of events, ideas and cultures.

SOURCE Thomson Reuters Healthcare

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