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Kidney Donation Money: Is Payment Legal?
✓ Fact-checked against sourced references · Editorial standards
Payment for a kidney is illegal. Reimbursement of a donor’s actual, documented expenses is not — and the two are very different things.
It is illegal in IndiaTHOTA permits reimbursement of documented medical costs and genuine loss of earnings during a donor’s recovery. It prohibits any payment for the organ itself, or any profit or "gain" to the donor.
How reimbursement works
Reimbursement is handled formally through the transplant hospital, never as a private cash arrangement between families.
Frequently asked questions
Can a donor be compensated for lost wages?
Genuine loss of earnings during recovery may be reimbursed through the hospital, but this is not payment for the organ.
Sources
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Educational only. This guide is general kidney-care information, not individual medical advice.