The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) announces it has setup a $10 million Kidney Live Donor Support Fund to help needy kidney donors. This announcement coincides with the implementation of changes to the Human Organ Transplant Act (HOTA).

To help kidney donors who are needy, the fund will:

1. Provide annual health screening and medical follow-ups as required by public hospital doctor;

2. One-time reimbursement of $5,000 for lost of income of the donor;

3. Reimbursement of hospitalization & surgical insurance premiums but capped at CPF basic medishield premium; and

4. An insurance cover underwritten by NTUC Income that covers death, total and permanent disability and 30 critical illnesses including stroke.

I find this move to be an excellent move to encourage kidney donors to step forward especially those who are not so well of. However, I do feel that more can be done to help these donors. These kidney donors have made a significant sacrifice. I don’t think it is easy to be willing to donor one’s organ like this. I felt much more can be done for them such as:

1. The one-time $5,000 reimbursement is based on two months lost of income assuming $2,500 of salary which is the national average salary. However, what happens if the donor suffers complication in the future which results in lost of income? If NTUC Income adopts the standardized Life Insurance Association (LIA) 30 critical illnesses, there could be instances in which the donor become too sick to work but not sick enough to claim the critical illness cover. Therefore, I suggest that NKF should look into getting an insurer to provide a disability income insurance so as to compensate for the lost of income if the insured is unable performance material duties of own occupation. Would an insurer be willing to take on such high risk? Well, this is like a “national service.” The insurer can cut cost by ensuring no commission is paid to anyone and that shareholders do not earn a profit. Even Aviva is willing to perform “national service” by underwriting dangerous occupation like for the military personnel under their Aviva Group Disability Income Insurance. So if there is a will, there is a way.

2. The reimbursement of medical insurance cap at CPF Basic Medishield is too low. I think the donor deceive better than this. At least reimbursement premium equivalent to a “A” class patient for a private-intergrated shield plan. Again, cost can be cut by not paying any commission to anyone and ensuring the premium does not mark-up any profit for shareholders.