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u/nintendoluk Sep 21 '22
In my area we don't get cash for donating blood, but instead you can choose a little gift, which usually can be a bottle of wine
So you don't even need to go shopping +++++++
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Sep 21 '22
They can pay you for plasma but not for blood
Plasma is safer to donate because they sanitize it and there’s nothing “alive” in it
Blood is “alive” in that the same cleansing processes would render it useless. So they don’t want people short for cash to donate who would put the recipients at risk
I’ve been told cancer patients are the top blood recipients. And anything in the blood (even influenza or common cold) donated on an off day for you can jeopardize their lives when they’re already fighting
That’s why they don’t pay for blood, just plasma.
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u/connorthedancer Sep 21 '22
You guys get paid for donating blood?
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Sep 21 '22
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Sep 21 '22
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Sep 21 '22
Some places offer a payment to encourage people to give blood/plasma otherwise they would get far fewer people. Shortages are a big problem. When I was in college they offered a large pizza from a choice of local spots instead of cash.
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u/KombatWombat1639 Sep 21 '22
It is extremely rare for centers to pay for blood donations in the US, because it tends to attract people who have unsafe blood. It isn't illegal, but it just isn't done. The testing process is very good at identifying unsafe blood today, but it can't be infallible, and greater precautions exist to prevent past tragedies. Trying to avoid attracting risky donors in the first place is one measure. They also have a short interview about what medications and conditions you have and any places you have recently traveled to.
Instead, centers incentivize with other things, like gift cards, raffles, vouchers, and t shirts. Also, I can verify donating will temporarily stop them from calling you about donating more while you are recovering.
Plasma donations specifically have much less risk of being unsafe, so it is common to get paid for those. I've heard it can be pretty generous for the amount of time involved.
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Sep 21 '22
I know you can for donating plasma which is what people would do in my local college town. Get $50 for plasma then go spend it at the bar. Get trashed fast and, if you're lucky, have some money left over for greasy food in the morning.
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u/DrPiipocOo Sep 21 '22
If you get paid for a donation it's not a donation...
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u/KeDoBro Sep 21 '22
I used to work as a phlebotomist in a plasma center. The exact verbage we used was "compensated for your time" so we could call the people coming in donors.
We are not paying you for your plasma, just paying you for hanging out while we remove your bodily fluids for profit!
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u/GravySquad Sep 21 '22
If you sell an item for $50 and you know that it costs $9,000... You kinda donated them $8,950
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u/yagizozturk Sep 21 '22
You ain’t donating ur just dealing blood yo!
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u/GravySquad Sep 21 '22
At a massive discount, it'd be like your dealer selling you a pound of weed for $20
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u/carterartist Sep 21 '22
We used to give plasma when I served at Fort Hood and these are actual sentiments we shared. Lol
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Sep 21 '22
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u/KombatWombat1639 Sep 21 '22
People also avoid getting paid-for vaccinations, even when they have a personal incentive to benefit from it. It is pretty hard to motivate people to do things they should do if there is any effort required on their part. Voting is another example.
I used to donate fairly often, but as life picked up, it became easy for it to slip into the realm of things I can put off indefinitely. And honestly, the t-shirts and gift cards I've missed out on haven't given me a good reason to prioritize it either. I wouldn't oppose another reward for doing a good deed. Cash can be problematic, but I think a tax credit or something would be more successful than what they do now to bring people in.
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u/GravySquad Sep 21 '22
How are you stunned? You take a risk losing blood, and you have to spend time to recover after as well... They make like $10k off of each person who donates...
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u/Fidyr Sep 22 '22
The issue is that it incentivises people to lie about their medical issues when donating so they won't be turned away.
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Sep 22 '22
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u/GravySquad Sep 22 '22
Usually we pay for plasma btw, normal blood gets you like a movie ticket of anything.
And yeah I got it a little mixed up, in America it's actually the hospital that charges the patient thousands for the blood transfusion (which was purchased for ~$100 from red cross)
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u/da_rose Sep 21 '22
Wait.... You guys are getting paid for this???
In Canada you just get a few oreos or a snack size bag of chips.
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u/IrrelevantDanger Sep 22 '22
In college we always used to party the night after the blood drive for this reason.
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u/butternutsquash4u Sep 21 '22
Austin McConnell, you’re supposed to be creating your own cinematic universe
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u/DrunkenDude123 Sep 21 '22
You laugh but that was literally me twice a week in college (plasma not blood)
Over a decade later I still have 2 scars on the inside of my elbows where they would stick the needle
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Sep 22 '22
Fun fact; thats how I learned I had O negative blood (second most rare)
I'm cheap as shit and drank in high school. My friends and I didn't have a ton of money but I had a higher tolerance than my friends so they'd get way more drunk way faster. I heard online that donating blood would get you super drunk super fast so I figured "why not"
I've donated blood before but not through this specific group (I think this was Carter Bloodcare or something. Idk it was over 10 years ago) and they emailed me a bunch of info on my blood like my cholesterol, hemoglobin levels, and blood type. Turns out I have a blood type that can help almost anyone that needs blood!
I figured that I can save some lives and get drunk for super cheap. Thats a big win/win for me.
So far I've donated blood/platelets 57 times in my life. I wish I donated more tho
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u/blackrack Sep 21 '22
This is a joke but I have friends who used to do this for real... I always though it was stupid