6- Would you sell your kidney for $100,000? | Ada, Ep. 2

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbXFXmSaoD4

Answer: B. To prevent exploitation and maintain fairness in transplants

Explanation: The sale of organs is banned mainly to prevent the exploitation of poor or vulnerable people and to ensure that organ allocation is based on medical need, not financial ability.

Why is it illegal to sell human organs in most countries, including the U.S.?

A. Because organs are too expensive to sell
B. To prevent exploitation and maintain fairness in transplants
C. Because organs cannot be preserved after removal
D. To reduce the number of kidney transplants

Answer: B. Most people don’t realize they can live normally with one kidney

Explanation: Many people don’t donate because they fear health risks or don’t realize a person can live a normal life with only one kidney.

According to the dialogue, what is one of the main reasons for the kidney shortage?

A. Most people are unwilling to be tested for donation
B. Most people don’t realize they can live normally with one kidney
C. Kidneys cannot be transplanted successfully
D. The government refuses to allow transplants

Answer: C. Around $100,000

Explanation: Dialysis costs the U.S. government (through Medicare) roughly $90,000–$100,000 per patient per year, as the story mentions.

How much does the U.S. government typically spend per dialysis patient each year?

A. Around $10,000
B. Around $50,000
C. Around $100,000
D. Around $500,000

Answer: C. To let incompatible donors swap kidneys so both patients receive a match

Explanation: A paired kidney exchange lets two or more pairs of donors and recipients swap kidneys so each patient gets a compatible donor, even if their original donor wasn’t a match.

What is the purpose of a paired kidney exchange?

A. To allow doctors to sell kidneys legally
B. To match donors with similar blood types
C. To let incompatible donors swap kidneys so both patients receive a match
D. To reduce the cost of dialysis

Answer: B. It might pressure poor people to sell organs out of desperation

Explanation: Critics worry that allowing payments would exploit economically vulnerable people, who might feel pressured to take medical risks for money.

What concern is raised about legalizing organ sales?

A. It could cause organ rejection
B. It might pressure poor people to sell organs out of desperation
C. It would reduce the quality of organs
D. It would make transplants more expensive

Answer: A. Pregnancy and surrogate motherhood

Explanation: The text compares organ donation to surrogacy, noting that pregnancy has higher risks but surrogates are allowed to be paid.

Which of the following comparisons is made to argue for paying organ donors?

A. Pregnancy and surrogate motherhood
B. Teaching and nursing jobs
C. Police work and farming
D. Acting and writing

Answer: C. Benefits like education subsidies or free health insurance

Explanation: The story suggests offering non-cash incentives — such as free healthcare, education support, or public recognition — to fairly reward donors without commercializing organs.

What is one proposed alternative to direct cash payment for organ donors?

A. Free houses
B. Reduced taxes for life
C. Benefits like education subsidies or free health insurance
D. Access to exclusive healthcare services

Answer: A. Because people would only donate for money

Explanation: Once payment becomes expected, fewer people might donate out of pure altruism, reducing voluntary donations.

Why might paying for organs reduce the number of volunteer donors in the long run?

A. Because people would only donate for money
B. Because surgery becomes riskier
C. Because fewer people would need kidneys
D. Because doctors prefer unpaid donors

Answer: A. It doesn’t exist in real life

Explanation: The U.S. doesn’t have a “Ministry of Transplantation.” Instead, organ allocation is managed by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) under federal regulation.

What is one factual error in the dialogue regarding “The Ministry of Transplantation”?

A. It doesn’t exist in real life
B. It runs all U.S. hospitals
C. It pays every organ donor
D. It is based in Europe

Answer: B. Should people be allowed to sell their organs for money?

Explanation: The central moral debate is whether individuals should have the right to sell their organs for financial compensation, balancing personal freedom against social ethics and fairness.

What is the main ethical question raised in this scenario?

A. Should organ transplants be banned?
B. Should people be allowed to sell their organs for money?
C. Should dialysis be free for all?
D. Should kidney donors get free surgery?

Answer: C. Donors have medical expenses covered but not travel or lost wages

Explanation: The dialogue states that medical costs are covered, but donors still bear indirect costs like travel and missed work — a real concern in current systems.

What does Ada discover when reading about kidney donation costs?

A. Donors are paid large amounts of money
B. Only hospitals benefit from kidney transplants
C. Donors have medical expenses covered but not travel or lost wages
D. Donors must pay for their own surgeries

Answer: C. It might pressure poor people to sell organs

Explanation: Desmond worries that poor individuals might feel forced into selling organs for money — a central ethical concern.

What is Desmond’s main objection to legalizing organ sales?

A. It would make transplants more expensive
B. It would encourage medical fraud
C. It might pressure poor people to sell organs
D. It could reduce government income

Answer: A. It’s illegal and medically risky

Explanation: While part of the liver can regenerate, selling any organ is illegal, and liver donation involves greater health risks than kidney donation.

In most countries, including the United States, selling organs like part of a liver is illegal under the National Organ Transplant Act (NOTA) of 1984, which prohibits the sale of human organs for transplantation.

Why is Ada uncomfortable with the idea of selling “a third of her liver”?

A. It’s illegal and medically risky
B. Livers can’t grow back
C. The payment is too small
D. Desmond told her not to

Answer: B. Paired kidney exchange

Explanation: Her idea reflects the paired kidney exchange system, where incompatible donors exchange kidneys so each patient gets a compatible organ.

What real-world program does Ada’s “kidney swap” idea resemble?

A. Organ investment banking
B. Paired kidney exchange
C. Living donor lottery
D. Medical crowdfunding

Answer: B. She tells him about the kidney exchange registry

Explanation: Ada informs Desmond about registries that can pair him with another donor, giving his mother a better chance of getting a kidney.

In the dialogue, why does Desmond thank Ada near the end?

A. She offers to donate money
B. She tells him about the kidney exchange registry
C. She volunteers to help at the hospital
D. She agrees to sell him a kidney

Answer: B. Whether the system is fair to families of patients

Explanation: The ending points out that families of sick patients often bear emotional and financial burdens — a fairness issue often overlooked in the debate.

What moral dilemma does the ending highlight?

A. Whether kidney donation is safe
B. Whether the system is fair to families of patients
C. Whether dialysis should be banned
D. Whether doctors are overpaid

Answer: B. Offering non-cash benefits such as education or healthcare

Explanation: The story proposes non-cash compensation — free education, health insurance, or public recognition — as a balanced solution promoting both fairness and altruism.

What possible compromise does the dialogue suggest for encouraging donation without commercializing it?

A. Paying donors full salaries
B. Offering non-cash benefits such as education or healthcare
C. Allowing organ auctions under supervision
D. Giving donors property discounts