From BioNews:
Egg donors are suing the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) in a class-action lawsuit for setting a 'price cap' on compensation to egg donors. . . .
The guidelines, which have not been adjusted since they were first established by the ASRM in 2000, advise that reimbursement above $5000 for egg donation requires 'justification' and that compensation above $10,000 is 'beyond what is appropriate'. . . .
Despite these guidelines, compensation for donor eggs in the USA regularly goes up to $75,000 dollars and there are even reports of six-figure sums being paid out.
Law professor Kimberly Krawiec from Duke University, North Carolina, argued that the guidelines are a clear violation of the legislation against price-capping, and that if the subject had been anything except human eggs 'we wouldn't be having this conversation'.
In contrast, Professor of Bioethics Arthur Caplan at New York University said: 'Egg sale is not egg donation. Opening a free market in human eggs risks increasing bamboozlement of couples with phony eugenic promises of eggs that will result in beautiful geniuses and the risk of exploiting poor women dazzled by money into ignoring risk.'
I’ve seen no evidence that egg donor compensation “regularly” exceeds $75,000 in the US, though there may have been isolated cases. Admittedly, reliable data on egg donor compensation is pretty scarce, but the studies that are out there tend to suggest that most payments are under the $10,000 guidelines. See my earlier posts here and here, for example.
But I’m happy to see Art Caplan protecting young women and intended parents from the coercive effects of money, which apparently only begin at the $10,000 mark.
Related Posts:
The NY Times Weighs In On Egg Donor Price Fixing
If You Want A Market, Have A Market . . . Otherwise
“Feeble Even By Normal Litigation Standards”
Egg Donor Antitrust Suit In Today’s WSJ
Sunny Samaritans’ Suit Survives
ASRM Seeks Dismissal of Egg Donor Suit
Kamakahi v. ASRM et al. — Updates
Politics And Profits in The Egg Business (When Sunny Samaritans Sue, IV)
When Sunny Samaritans Sue, Part III
There was a fascinating podcast on Radiolab recently on surrogacy that touched on the economics of egg donation. It was primarily focused on hiring surrogates, but some of the issues raised by Caplan are featured squarely. It's here: http://www.radiolab.org/story/birthstory/
Posted by: Matthew Bruckner | December 02, 2015 at 08:16 AM