Organ waiting list policy benefits the wealthy, study charges

Patients who can afford to get on multiple transplant lists more likely to survive

heart transplant

HEART OF THE MATTER  Allowing patients to get on waiting lists for organs at multiple centers may exacerbate transplant disparities.

Pamela Moore/iStockphoto

ORLANDO, Fla. — People in line for organ transplants gain an advantage by getting on the waiting lists at multiple centers. But that privilege appears to favor wealthier patients and may be exacerbating existing inequities in organ transplantation, according to data presented November 9 at the American Heart Association’s scientific sessions.