Legislation can protect the right to choose Directed Donations.

When a corporate entity denies an individual the right to choose direct donation, it is arguably a direct violation of the 14th Amendment of the Constitution (Section 1) and The Patient Self-Determination Act of 1990.

For State Senators

National Conference of State Legislatures (session calendar)

Find your reps

Protect Medical Freedom Letter

2026: Idaho House Bill 528 has officially been signed into law by Governor Little.

Definitions

  • Directed Donor means that a blood donor is a known donor for the recipient (generally, but not always, a friend or relative).
  • Autologous donation means donating one’s own blood in advance of an upcoming surgery or procedure where loss of blood is likely.

Stats

  • Approximately 1 in 70 people need a blood transfusion each year..
  • An estimated 3% of people donate blood.
  • More than 35% of states across our nation have begun engaging in medical freedom dialogue.
  • The United States supplies
    more than 70% of the world’s blood products.

Myths vs. Realty

  1. Myth: Everyone might want directed donor blood
    Reality: ALL blood transfusions (directed and anonymous) require a doctor’s written order, and this should be a decision made jointly by the patient and their doctor, not a corporate entity.
  2. Myth: Direct donor blood increases risk of liability
    Reality: There is NO increase in liability by using directed donor blood. Any patient who receives a transfusion has to sign an “inherent risk waiver” that is a completely separate form from any other hospital form. This form states that receiving a transfusion has inherent risks associated with it, and releases liability (provided that the blood is handled according to FDA guidelines).
  3. Myth: Direct donor blood increases risk of liability
    Reality: Tennessee has already enacted a bill in their state without disrupting the medical process or causing any legal issues within their medical community. It’s business as usual.
  4. Myth: Direct donor blood is harder to track and trace
    Reality: Direct donor blood, like ALL blood is barcoded, thus making it just as easy to track and trace as anonymous donor blood.
  5. Myth: Direct donations take away from blood that could be used for someone else
    Reality: Direct donors ADD to the pool of blood availability. They are typically not regular blood donors and are donating because they have an emotional or community connection with the person they are donating to. They are typically ADDING to the already precious blood supply, freeing up the anonymous blood supply for someone else!
  6. Myth: Direct donor blood isn’t as safe as anonymous donor blood
    Reality: Direct donor blood and anonymous donor blood are both tested for exactly the same things. There is no difference in safety. In fact, statistically, plasma centers (in which people are paid to donate) are often located in lower socioeconomic areas which

Facts

Both autologous and directed donor blood are legal, safe, and have a decade’s long history of prior use.

Directed donor blood has been a common practice for decades. During the 1980’s and 1990’s, it was a standard of practice in major surgeries to ask patients if they wanted to use directed donor blood.

Directed donor blood is generally very fresh, whereas stored for general population blood can be up to 50 days old.

The blood industry is a lucrative multibillion dollar industry

All blood is not equal in terms of quality. For example, the blood of a healthy 20 year old athlete who eats in a healthy manner would be superior to a 50 year old blood donor who eats a standard American diet and is on 4 medications.

As blood ages in a bag, there is an increasing risk of death, blood clots, multi-organ dysfunction, increased hospital stay time, decreased oxygen carrying capability and more when aged blood is transfused.

Blood to the pharmaceutical industry (there are many products made from human blood components) and to research organizations.

As per American Red Cross guidelines, a limited number (12) of pathogens are screened for. There are far more than 12 pathogens that can be transmitted by blood.
Some of these that are NOT routinely screened for include: Epstein-Barr Virus, Herpes Viruses, SARS Cov-2, E. coli, Staph aureus, and parasites for example. This is an additional advantage to knowing your donor.

Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK138223/
https://law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-68/health/chapter-32/section-68-32-103/
Book: Blood Money, The story of Life, Death, and Profit inside America’s Blood Industry by
Kathleen McLaughlin
Book: Blood by Douglas Starr

Join our Advocacy Network

*there is plenty of content on the google form to pull for the description. You can use it all or pull a few sentences that works best