# Cash for your blood? Coming soon to Canada.



## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

This latest news is a bit disturbing in the sense that our health care system is slowly evolving into the US system.
Soon you can "donate blood" and get paid for it.
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/payment-blood-donors-comes-canada-014325776.html

People desparate for cash and being on drugs could line up to get some cash to buy more drugs, compromising the quality of the blood services here in Ontario
again. 



> Canadian Plasma Resources in Toronto and CanGene Plasma in Winnipeg are both *promoting compensation for plasma donors on their websites, although neither company lists the amount of payment being offered.* Canadian Plasma Resources declined a request from CBC for an interview but allowed its facility to be filmed. Cangene Plasma Resources did not respond to an interview request


*Possible scenario:*
Potential donor: I need some cash fast! PayDay Loans are after me to pay up! How much are you willing to pay?
Plasma company: $100 per litre, once it is screened for HIV virus. Have you ever had HIV?
Donor: Oh..no I don't think so.
Plasma company: Ok, that's good enough for us. Tick off the box that you feel you are HIV clean and come in to our office. You will get a voucher,
once the blood is screened for some communicable diseases.
Donor: I need cash fast..can I give more than the minimum 1 litre?
Plasma company: The maximum will be 2 litres per day.


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## rikk (May 28, 2012)

carverman said:


> This latest news is a bit disturbing in the sense that our health care system is slowly evolving into the US system.
> Soon you can "donate blood" and get paid for it.
> http://ca.news.yahoo.com/payment-blood-donors-comes-canada-014325776.html.


"It's expecting to open for business in a few months near a university and homeless shelter in Toronto after Health Canada approves the facility to handle blood." ... nice.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

rikk said:


> "It's expecting to open for business in a few months near a university and homeless shelter in Toronto after Health Canada approves the facility to handle blood." ... nice.


Well at least Health Canada is involved..not sure what kind of guarantee they will provide that the blood plasma you get (as a transfusion) is 100% safe. We all remember when the Red Cross was responsible for collecting blood.. what happened to hundreds (or thousands) of recipients of those blood products that contracted HIV, Hepatitis C, and other more prominent blood diseases.

The gov't finally settled(some undisclosed amount ) with the infected patients, but only after years and years of inquiries, stalling, and litigation.
Some recipients that contracted HIV as a result of their tranfusions, died before they realized any kind of settlement.

The gov't agency (CBS) took on the responsibilty of collecting and screening blood for some of the common communicable 
diseases, but obviously (in my case), their tests are not 100% foolproof for detecting all viruses that may be present in human blood.

Now they are granting licences for commercial blood collection? They (CFIA) can't even guarantee us e-coli free hamburger!


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## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

Scary this is happening ... what's next? Organs for sale? Was there a consultation process with the general Canadian public on this blood-for-sale scheme? What's in it for Health Canada to allow this to happen?


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

Beaver101 said:


> Scary this is happening ... what's next? Organs for sale? Was there a consultation process with the general Canadian public on this blood-for-sale scheme? What's in it for Health Canada to allow this to happen?


apparently for now..it will be collected and processed in the US..where cash for blood has been the rule for many years.



> Plasma can be processed in the U.S. into immunoglobulin, an expensive intravenous drug used to treat cancer and other diseases.


I was taking immunoglobulin for years to treat my auto-immune disease. In december 2011, I received a vial that was infected with some kind of virus that
the CBS did not detect, or were not involved with, since the Ottawa Hospital does not give you the source of each batch they give you. I got a severe reaction
and my immune system went "nuts",..I was so weak, I couldn't walk and had to buy a power wheelchair. The Ottawa Hospital and their doctors were sympathetic to me, but did not offer to help or investigate, as the containers/batch numbers were already destroyed as medical waste.

I stopped taking their treatment (immunoglobulin) immediately after that, because I did not want to live through that kind of pain and weakness again.

No matter what the gov't assurances are..mistakes can happen..there are many types of viruses out there in human blood.
They can't test for all of them and if the blood product is imported from the US..(as was in my case, I believe)...you just never know how safe
your treatment will be.


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## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

Isn't it ironic that a donor can't donate blood of their own choosing to help someone (e.g. relative to relative or friend to friend) and yet now can sell their blood? :rolleyes2:


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

Beaver101 said:


> Isn't it ironic that a donor can't donate blood of their own choosing to help someone (e.g. relative to relative or friend to friend) and yet now can sell their blood? :rolleyes2:


It's due to gov't controls and screening of the blood, which is the big issue. Besides blood types, there are other factors that can cause severe immune system problems in blood transfusions. 
On battlefields, there was no choice..soldiers were given transfusions from other soldiers and took their chances, as more than likely they would
die from bleeding to death from their wounds. In civilian society, it's not that simple.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

It's a tough problem. There is a shortage of blood/blood products... how else do you get more people to donate?


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## Homerhomer (Oct 18, 2010)

andrewf said:


> It's a tough problem. There is a shortage of blood/blood products... how else do you get more people to donate?


Exactly, there is a problem and we need a solution.

Some of the posts here are worthy toronto sun headlines ;-) a junky donating blood with hiv and that's ok, a bit of fear mongering don't you think?

Few years back I was disqualified during an interview from blood donation because I answered yes to did you visit Great Britain in the last 20 years. Maybe we have a shortage of blood because too many perfectly fine and willing donors can't participate.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

If my blood has a value now, how about a tax credit when I donate it as with any other donation? Maybe that would entice a healthier pool than those desperate for a quick buck. This would make a good Freakonomics study, because it's probably another counter-intuitive situation where most people will actually be less inclined to donate.


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## NorthernRaven (Aug 4, 2010)

_He said I sold my blood for money 
There wasn't any pain 
But I just can't stand the feeling 
It's in someone else's veins _​
Joan Osborne, "Pensacola"​


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

I think they should be more pragmatic about who they do and do not allow to donate. The ban on people who lived in parts of Europe is a little overdone. These people are safe enough to donate blood in Britain and France...


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

Here's how they do it..



> Will I be compensated?
> Yes! We have several options for you, including payment by direct deposit into your bank account, cheque, or prepaid Visa cards. Please check with us again in the future, as we will always be looking to add convenient payment methods.


[


> How often can I donate?
> Our body replenishes plasma in about one week, unlike blood which takes about two months. You can donate plasma as often as once a week. Donating frequently can help you partake in creating more solutions for those in need.



full story..
http://www.giveplasma.ca/plasma-donation-faq

i can see starving students and druggies going for the once per week option. 
Now..here's the interesting twist. If it's considered a donation, but you get paid for it, how does CRA see the amount of money you get paid over the year?
Is it free money? Or do you have to declare it..if you actually file yearly returns?


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## Homerhomer (Oct 18, 2010)

There will be two chairs in the room, one for stoned druggie, the other for receipient, they will be connected by a tube, nice fresh supply, very organic, no need to check anything since the word is enough.
:very_drunk:


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

Homerhomer said:


> There will be two chairs in the room, one for stoned druggie, the other for receipient, they will be connected by a tube, nice fresh supply, very organic, no need to check anything since the word is enough.
> :very_drunk:


^:highly_amused::highly_amused: This is becoming closer to a scene from Dracula. "I vant to drink your blood!"...except in this case, you can get paid for each fresh supply you give them...maybe more like a "milch cow"? 
Up to now, people donated blood for the good of the sick or injured people out there, but now being compensated for it..
having a "Blood Bank" has taken on a new meaning.
"
PayDay Loans"..CashMoney"....those "blood sucking" thieves who prey on the poor and those that can't get a grip on their finances..will be
able to experience "Blood Money"..coming to a place in your town.


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## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

carverman said:


> ^:highly_amused::highly_amused: *This is becoming closer to a scene from Dracula.* "I vant to drink your blood!"...except in this case, you can get paid for each fresh supply you give them...maybe more like a "milch cow"?
> Up to now, people donated blood for the good of the sick or injured people out there, but now being compensated for it..
> having a "Blood Bank" has taken on a new meaning.
> "
> ...


 ... don't knock it - the blood technicians at the hospitals are nicknamed "vampires" and have hearts of steel (or being"cold-blooded" with no pun intended) <<<shudder>>> to be able to continuously draw blood from chronically/acutely sick in-patients. 

But you raised a very good point earlier as to how will these payments be treated from the taxman's eyes?


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

Beaver101 said:


> .
> 
> But you raised a very good point earlier as to how will these payments be treated from the taxman's eyes?


Maybe it's a donation in reverse? The more you donate, the more tax credits you receive?..ok..maybe not..it probably will not be reported
because they won't receive a T4 slip from the company, since they are not an employer or a financial institution.

Wouldn't the donors better off by giving them food vouchers? For each pint donated, they get $25-$50 of food tokens for McD's or Pizza Hut or even Timmys. With this kind of compensation, CRA isn't going to come after anyone.

I can see this progressing to organ donations someday.
For a kidney..you get $$$
For a..what other redundant organ can you donate and still survive?


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

Liver, lung, etc.

However, I suspect that organ donations will only last another 20 years or so. Researchers are testing printing organs in 3D printers with live cells (cultured from induced pluripotent stem cells from the recipient), or taking pig organs, stripping them of cells and planting cells from the recipient.

I'm sure there will be a lot of trouble with this, but progress will be made.


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## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

andrewf said:


> Liver, lung, etc.
> 
> However, I suspect that organ donations will only last another 20 years or so. *Researchers are testing printing organs in 3D printers with live cells *(cultured from induced pluripotent stem cells from the recipient), or *taking pig organs, stripping them of cells and planting cells from the recipient*.
> 
> I'm sure there will be a lot of trouble with this, but progress will be made.


 ... I think the 3D printing is only a novel attempt to replicate the likeness of an organ, not a functioning one. Stripping pig organs (heart valves) is already a reality today.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

Heart valves are just the beginning. A simple structure with few different cell types.


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