The American Spectator

Last week, cruising the Internet, I found this article explaining protein reactive antibody ratings and chemistries. At one point, the article says, “Candidates with a CPRA value of 80 percent or higher will receive points in the kidney allocation formula.”

In yet another article, I found that such transplant candidates will receive “four extra points.”

In all these years, I have never heard of a point system in allocating kidneys. No transplant coordinator has ever mentioned it.

Plug “kidney allocation formula” into Google, and you’ll get article after article explaining what the result of the formula is, and proposing changes to it. But “points”?

It took some digging, but I found it. As I expected, points get assigned based on age, location, waiting time, and the like. But then the complications start.

The complications are so complicated it makes me wonder: Has this system been developed, like so many other professional systems, simply to exclude public curiosity?

Whatever it is, I had never heard of it. It makes me wonder what other, large, important factor in kidney transplant still remains out there — that no one has ever told me about.