People who receive organs from living donors have better health outcomes than those who receive organs from deceased donors.
But protections for living organ donors are lacking in Indiana, according to a new report by the American Kidney Fund. The state received a D grade in the 2024 state of the states report card.
The report looks at seven different types of laws that help support and reduce barriers for living donors – that includes laws that provide financial assistance, paid leave and anti–discrimination laws for insurance to living donors.
Indiana checks the box for only one of the seven laws.
Nationwide, there are more than 100 thousand people on the transplant waitlists and the majority are waiting for a kidney transplant.
Research suggests that Black and Latino people are more likely to develop kidney failure but they have much lower chances of getting a transplant or finding a living donor.