I Helped Change a Life...and Earned Disney Money:)

[Poohforyou]

This is true. Some articles have said that paid plasma donations (plasma is then sold for a profit to companies) takes away from true donation to actual patients.

You can google 'plasma donation contamination' for a variety of articles about plasma donation.

These pay for plasma places are employing minimum wage workers who are not health professionals to take your plasma. At the very least, I would ask them to change gloves before they took my plasma. Apparently they are not required to unless there is an obvious tear or contamination of the glove.

This would be my concern. The red cross doesn't take everyone for a reason. And a very good one at that. I don't get a warm and fuzzy feeling that blood products are being purchased from people. What screening are they doing?

 

[crazelion]

I can't donate plasma because they want let me. I do donate at blood assurance for two dozens krispy creme doughnuts that I love.

 

[pjlla]

I've wanted to do this in the past, but there aren't any centers for this in my area.... the closest one is about 3 hours away in Maine, from what I've seen. Any NH folks found a donation center nearby??................P

 

[KalamityJane]

I went with a friend who needed 3 donors to get a bonus. I weighed 98 lbs at the time. While laying there, I read a sign that said you must weigh 105! Close enough I thought and besides the needle was already in! Long story short I ended up dehydrated and really sick for 2 days. My Dr said next time just do blood! So I ended up paying $50 for my dr to tell me I was dehydrated. But my friend got her bonus at least.

I think this is why BioLife donors also get a bag of saline at the end.

 

[KalamityJane]

Our children with primary immunodeficiency diseases will infuse immunoglobulin through a pump every week, most likely forever in order to survive and thrive. Not one of us is concerned with why people donate plasma, we are just happy and grateful that they do. Their blood gives our children a chance to grow up. Let's support all of the donors no matter what form it takes.

I'm so glad it helps your child! I started donating because my youngest was a NICU baby and I wanted to give back. It's amazing to put a "face" on it <3

 

[Eastern]

actually, ithe monetary compensation is for my time, the plasma is a donation.

They are required to say that by law.

 

[Eastern]

Our children with primary immunodeficiency diseases will infuse immunoglobulin through a pump every week, most likely forever in order to survive and thrive. Not one of us is concerned with why people donate plasma, we are just happy and grateful that they do. Their blood gives our children a chance to grow up. Let's support all of the donors no matter what form it takes.

"There are two different types of plasma donations...the first is non-profit. The largest would be The American Red Cross. According to FDA regulations, truly donated plasma and blood, without any funds exchanging hands between the donor and the organization, is the only blood or plasma that can be transfused into humans. If an individual is paid any money at all, for their time or for their plasma, it can not be used to "Save Lives" per se. Because for-profit donation centers feed on the need or the greed of the economic world temperature, non-profit donation centers are suffering. When non-profit donation centers suffer, then those who need plasma: burn, shock or trauma victims go without. Those looking to make a humanitarian donations should be donating blood and plasma at non-profit donation centers like the American Red Cross."

http://ezinearticles.com/?Plasma-Donations-Put-a-Price-on-Human-Life&id=2464870

 

[smcabee]

Guess they should start paying donors then and they would have more to help those that need it. And before anyone starts bashing me, I donate regularly both plasma where I get compensated and blood where I do not get compensated.

 

[kristenrice]

"There are two different types of plasma donations...the first is non-profit. The largest would be The American Red Cross. According to FDA regulations, truly donated plasma and blood, without any funds exchanging hands between the donor and the organization, is the only blood or plasma that can be transfused into humans. If an individual is paid any money at all, for their time or for their plasma, it can not be used to "Save Lives" per se. Because for-profit donation centers feed on the need or the greed of the economic world temperature, non-profit donation centers are suffering. When non-profit donation centers suffer, then those who need plasma: burn, shock or trauma victims go without. Those looking to make a humanitarian donations should be donating blood and plasma at non-profit donation centers like the American Red Cross." http://ezinearticles.com/?Plasma-Donations-Put-a-Price-on-Human-Life&id=2464870

The plasma that is sold/donated for compensation is used by pharmaceutical companies to make life-saving treatments for diseases such as hemophilia and primary immunodeficiency. Since plasma cannot be synthetically produced, human donors are needed to produce these medications. I know that my plasma is not going to burn victims or trauma patients, but that does not make it any less valuable to those with life-altering diseases. As I mentioned earlier, my own mother used to receive immunoglobulin injections to boost her immune system which had been knocked out by chemotherapy. Without those injections, she is on antibiotics almost every month. They are very expensive to produce and as a result, her insurance company no longer covers them. At over $15,000 per injection, she cannot afford to take it anymore so she is back on antibiotics when she needs them.

I apologize for turning this into an ethical debate. I just figured that folks on the budget board are often looking for ways to make a little extra money on the side. Plasma donation (or whatever you want to call it) seems like a win-win situation for all involved.

 

[tina.tina]

Dear OP,

If my dad's actual life wasn't saved, his quality of life sure was. He was stricken with Guillain Barre Syndrome and his drs credited the extent of his quick recovery and his outlook for a pretty much full recovery to how quickly he was administered plasma products.

Everyone's time is valuable so I support the fact that they pay you for your time. You can be paid for your time at any "job" but not have an invasive medical procedure, so I definitely consider your donation a donation!

 

[Iowajes]

Guess they should start paying donors then and they would have more to help those that need it. And before anyone starts bashing me, I donate regularly both plasma where I get compensated and blood where I do not get compensated.

They wouldn't be donors if they were paid- they'd be sellers. (Keep in mind- if you sell plasma, you do have to pay income taxes on it; for me, it isn't worth the paperwork, so I just donate; though usually whole blood.)

It is interesting that it is illegal to sell organs (I've got an extra kidney) or blood but isn't illegal to sell plasma.

 

[mfleeting]

I use to donate plasma here and there during my last semester of school to help pay travel costs for all my interviews. Once I moved to a bigger city and was still not starting at a new job I did it temporary. There's a place here that does promotions all the time where donors can receive a $100 bonus after so many donations (normally it equals to you going twice a week and after 3-4 weeks you get the bonus). They also run specials during holidays etc. Pretty much you could potentially make up to $300 a month doing it.

 

[arihillfarm]

I was under the impression that whole blood donated through the Red Cross would be billed to patients who need it. Is that not true?

-Astrid

 

[Disneytam]

I have to agree with airihillfarm's commit. Even though you may be giving your blood for free to the red cross they are not giving the blood for free to whoever needs it. My son and I give blood but it does sometimes cross my mind that I am giving something away for free so someone else can make a hefty profit. Let the flaming begin.

 

[sunshine1178]

I was under the impression that whole blood donated through the Red Cross would be billed to patients who need it. Is that not true?

-Astrid

I don't know about the Red Cross specifically, but I think that patients who receive blood products are billed, to cover processing, testing, and transportation costs. Several years ago, I was a regular whole blood donor, and we could donate "in lieu" of someone who needed blood products, and it either offset or reduced their costs.

 

[arihillfarm]

I have to agree with airihillfarm's commit. Even though you may be giving your blood for free to the red cross they are not giving the blood for free to whoever needs it. My son and I give blood but it does sometimes cross my mind that I am giving something away for free so someone else can make a hefty profit. Let the flaming begin.

I thought that was the case and why I haven't yet donated blood. I understand that the Red Cross has a lot of overhead (buses, employees, advertising, storage, supplies, etc.) and that those costs should be recouped, but much more above those costs are patients being charged?

-Astrid

 

[tinkgirl1984]

I thought that was the case and why I haven't yet donated blood. I understand that the Red Cross has a lot of overhead (buses, employees, advertising, storage, supplies, etc.) and that those costs should be recouped, but much more above those costs are patients being charged? -Astrid

It's true that patients are charged for blood. Exorbitant fees actually, but your moral high ground isn't reason not to donate. In the US, patients can only be given donated blood. There ARE shortages. As a critical care nurse, I've seen people not get blood they needed more than one time. Once with a fatal outcome. The system is not going to change. Doesn't change the fact that patients still need blood. Also, I don't know about Red Cross (all of the blood in my area is supplied by Medic), but donating blood 1 time gets you 1 year of FREE blood if it's needed by you or an immediate family member. Just think of it as an insurance policy

 

[Muushka]

Once you meet your financial goals, please consider donating whole blood or platelets. The reason that plasma centers can pay you is that they sell their products to for-profit companies. Blood and platelets are given to patients directly.

This

Just a comment about the fact that Red Cross and other agencies receive their donations and
turn around and sell the components. You have to consider (in addition to what was mentioned above

(buses, employees, advertising, storage, supplies, etc.)

each unit goes through a lot of different viral tests in addition to several other tests to be sure the product is safe.
These tests performed are not inexpensive and I would not expect the Red Cross and others to give the products away.

That being said, while they are considered 'non profit' agencies, they certainly do make a profit. Our CEO (at a blood bank I worked at, not Red Cross) made quite the salary. As do many people who work for non profit agencies. Look at the NBA and NFL for example. You want to go after cooperate welfare, start taxing the non profit agencies.

So while it may seem that I am talking out of both sides of my mouth, working in the Blood Bank and watching the more in demand components disappear from the shelf with nothing to replace them is not a good thing to see. Or having someone from distribution ask what we had in the pheresis testing area because once we finished testing them, they were shipped out. Or the special units they use on newborns be depleted.

It is a good thing to donate to your local blood bank.

 

[Muushka]

I just googled my former CEO and lots of info out there. This is 'in the weeds' info, but I found it interesting.

The price per pint not only pays for the expensive separating and testing processes but also yields the blood banks an impressive profit. Last year, South Florida Blood Banks made $1.36 million, and Community Blood Centers reported more than $3 million left at year's end. Charities can't legally make money, so blood bank officials say the extra cash will be used to construct processing plants, buy bloodmobiles, and pay staff salaries.

The profits have also allowed the blood banks to give top executives massive raises. John Flynn, who made $124,000 in 1996 to head South Florida Blood Banks, now earns more than double that: $279,000 a year. Rouault's salary at Community Blood Centers jumped 30 percent, from $215,000 in 1996 to $280,000 this year.

The profits have also allowed South Florida Blood Banks to pay its volunteer board of directors consulting fees and salaries totaling at least $312,000. A decade ago, board President Douglas Johansen received $36,000 for serving as a consultant, and the West Palm company paid Admiralty Bank, which Johansen founded, $121,000 to lease computers. Similarly, Flynn paid his brother, Howard, $30,000 to develop a computer program to help the blood bank conform to government regulations. At the time, the firm also had a staff computer technician making $118,000 a year.

Too funny. I worked with 'brother' Howard on (testing) that program! It failed miserably.
But at least it wasn't as costly as the gov ACA train wreck.

Here is the entire article:

http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/2002-11-28/news/blood-trade/

This is a very old article. It got much worse after I left.

 

[cjbcam]

This is such a tricky subject. I don't think blood banks should make that much money. Lots of people I know think that more people would donate if they were payed (I think they would as well) but a lot of the "wrong" people would donate just for some quick cash. "Wrong" people being for example druggies that have diseases. I do donate, and have received blood before. I guess I should say I donate now because I've had to have one and know the importance. Either way if you are paid or not good for you you really do help.