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Pretty basic economics. Quantity supplied generally == quantity demanded, as long as there's a functioning price system. It's why you can go to a gas station

Pretty basic economics. Quantity supplied generally == quantity demanded, as long as there's a functioning price system. It's why you can go to a gas station and (while the price certainly changes) count on them never being out of gas, despite whatever else is going on in terms of weather, OPEC or whatever. Paying people for plasma donation means there's plasma available for patients who need it. And it's not like these doners are coerced. Removing their option to do that (by outlawing paid donations) by definition can only make them worse off.

jeffdavis 10y ago
I agree because blood donation is safe. If it weren't, or we were talking about kidneys or something, it gets more complicated.
- chimeracoder 10y ago
  > I agree because blood donation is safe. If it weren't, or we were talking about kidneys or something, it gets more complicated. Unsafe procedures provide even more justification for compensation. Otherwise, there's a shortage of people who will be willing to go through it for free, leading to even more exploitative incentives - peer pressure in the best case[0], or outright trafficking in the worst. Remember that you can't prevent market activity from happening; you can prevent it from happening out in the open, and hope that the inconvenience and other risks are enough of a deterrent (look at the war on drugs, or sex work). But for an individual, there is no situation in which the stakes are higher than being denied a lifesaving treatment. That's the point at which, in the extreme case, even kidnapping or organ harvesting seem like viable options (to them), because they are literally the only option, other than death. You might think I'm being hyperbolic, but this literally happens. But if you can ensure an adequate supply from people who are properly informed about the risks and capable of consenting, there is no incentive to engage in that sort of activity. [0] for example, pressure from an infertile relative who wants to use your eggs to conceive
peacetreefrog 10y ago
It is interesting how the (monetary) price for blood is basically $0, while for plasma it's > $0. Know nothing about blood or plasma, but I'd imagine this is because donating plasma takes longer and is more painful. Wouldn't be surprised if it was trickier to store/transport/use or if you generally got less plasma fluid out of a person vs blood, or people could donate less often or something. Also note while the monetary price for blood is $0, that's probably not the full price -- just ask anyone who has reluctantly donated blood because they didn't want to be the only person in their school or office not donating during a blood drive. There's often a social cost to NOT donating too. Also, even with these differences/caveats the lack of a price system for blood does lead to some mismatches between supply and demand. There's currently a big blood shortage as we speak (google it), leading some hospitals to cancel elective surgery.
- driverdan 10y ago
  > It is interesting how the (monetary) price for blood is basically $0, while for plasma it's > $0. It's not. In the US compensation for donating blood is illegal but not plasma. Most charities that take blood donations sell it.
  - kgwgk 10y ago
    > In the US compensation for donating blood is illegal Not really: https://www.statnews.com/2016/01/22/paid-plasma-not-blood/ https://www.statnews.com/2016/01/22/paid-plasma-not-blood/
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]

jeffdavis 10y ago

I agree because blood donation is safe. If it weren't, or we were talking about kidneys or something, it gets more complicated.

chimeracoder 10y ago
> I agree because blood donation is safe. If it weren't, or we were talking about kidneys or something, it gets more complicated. Unsafe procedures provide even more justification for compensation. Otherwise, there's a shortage of people who will be willing to go through it for free, leading to even more exploitative incentives - peer pressure in the best case[0], or outright trafficking in the worst. Remember that you can't prevent market activity from happening; you can prevent it from happening out in the open, and hope that the inconvenience and other risks are enough of a deterrent (look at the war on drugs, or sex work). But for an individual, there is no situation in which the stakes are higher than being denied a lifesaving treatment. That's the point at which, in the extreme case, even kidnapping or organ harvesting seem like viable options (to them), because they are literally the only option, other than death. You might think I'm being hyperbolic, but this literally happens. But if you can ensure an adequate supply from people who are properly informed about the risks and capable of consenting, there is no incentive to engage in that sort of activity. [0] for example, pressure from an infertile relative who wants to use your eggs to conceive

peacetreefrog 10y ago

It is interesting how the (monetary) price for blood is basically $0, while for plasma it's > $0. Know nothing about blood or plasma, but I'd imagine this is because donating plasma takes longer and is more painful. Wouldn't be surprised if it was trickier to store/transport/use or if you generally got less plasma fluid out of a person vs blood, or people could donate less often or something. Also note while the monetary price for blood is $0, that's probably not the full price -- just ask anyone who has reluctantly donated blood because they didn't want to be the only person in their school or office not donating during a blood drive. There's often a social cost to NOT donating too. Also, even with these differences/caveats the lack of a price system for blood does lead to some mismatches between supply and demand. There's currently a big blood shortage as we speak (google it), leading some hospitals to cancel elective surgery.

driverdan 10y ago
> It is interesting how the (monetary) price for blood is basically $0, while for plasma it's > $0. It's not. In the US compensation for donating blood is illegal but not plasma. Most charities that take blood donations sell it.
- kgwgk 10y ago
  > In the US compensation for donating blood is illegal Not really: https://www.statnews.com/2016/01/22/paid-plasma-not-blood/ https://www.statnews.com/2016/01/22/paid-plasma-not-blood/
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]