Hospitals Cater to ‘Transplant Tourists’ as U.S. Patients Wait for Organs
The New York Times • • world
Key Points:
- Kayoko Hira, a Japanese transplant patient, received a heart transplant at the University of Chicago Medical Center within days, bypassing the typical months-long waiting period in the U.S.
- Shortly after the transplant, a charity run by Mrs. Hira’s husband donated to a nonprofit led by the heart surgeon’s wife, marking the charity’s only donation to an American institution.
- A New York Times investigation revealed that some U.S. hospitals actively recruit international transplant patients by advertising short wait times and concierge services, especially targeting patients from the Middle East.
- These hospitals have also entered contracts with foreign governments to set prices for organ transplants, with international patients potentially bringing in up to $2 million, significantly more than domestic patients
