Does a patient who is rich or influential receive special consideration in organ and tissue distribution?
Although celebrities get most of the media attention, the fact is that thousands of other patients receive donated organs and tissue as well. Donor organs and tissues are matched to recipients based on blood and tissue type, geographic location, and medical urgency. Organ and tissue allocation is blind to wealth or social status. Further, factors such as race, gender, age, or celebrity status are not considered when determining who receives an organ or tissue.
