Note to Delegate Scott Lingamfelter regarding Organ Donations (and I don't mean church organs).

eMail, 24 February 2011

Delegate Lingamfelter,

I always appreciate your updates from Richmond and excellent communications with your Constituents (of which I am one). Keep up the good work... and I'll keep working to make sure you continue representing us.

I have an idea for your consideration. Today's Washington Post had an article that caught the attention of anyone past 50, "Under kidney transplant proposal, younger patients would get the best organs" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/23/AR2011022306875.html?nav=rss_email%2Fcomponents

This is almost "low hanging fruit". The medical community is focusing on how to narrow the pool of donor recipients when they should be looking for ways to increase the pool of available organs. The answer is easy: make Driver's Licenses free (or give a discount) to folks who check "yes" on the Organ Donor block (or some other small cash incentive). Experience tells me that modest amounts of money influence bahavior (like chaging $5.00 as a copay to cut down on unnecessary visits to the Doctor). This uses the same logic to increase the pool of organ donors (which makes the argument proposed by the Post article "moot". I'm guessing reductions in cost and complexity in the "business" or organ donations would more than off-set the loss of revenue at DMV (or via some other concession or incentive).

Virginia could lead on this issue with a simple, easy to implement solution that doesn't include a "panel" to decide who should live or die. You know, this sounds like a "death panel" to me. I thought the while idea of a "death panel" was just political rhetoric. I guess I was wrong.

Keep up the good work!

Regards,

Al

Alan P. Alborn
President & Principal
Alborn Foundation
www.alborn.net
Charter Founding Member, Prince William Chamber of Commerce