Special Report: U.S. company makes a fortune selling bodies donated to science

[sl8]

Source: Reuters

PHOENIX, Arizona (Reuters) - In 2008, a thriving company named Science Care Inc developed a 55-page national expansion plan. The internal document projected the yield on raw material to the decimal point and earnings to the dollar.

The goal: to maximize profits from the sale of human bodies donated to science. The company’s model for ensuring quality: McDonald’s Corp.
...

The payoff has proved substantial. Science Care has turned donated bodies into about $27 million in annual sales, according to a 2017 government filing. That figure includes revenue Science Care generates by hosting medical training seminars, which enable doctors to train on donated bodies. The privately held company doesn’t disclose its profits.

Medical school officials in Pennsylvania and Florida report that competition from Science Care and other brokers has reduced the number of bodies donated to schools to train students. Science Care markets itself more aggressively than medical schools, they say, and offers donors more favorable terms, such as picking up the body for free.
...

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-bodies-science-specialreport/special-report-u-s-company-makes-a-fortune-selling-bodies-donated-to-science-idUSKBN1CV1J7

[mitch96]

1. Interesting aside

A buddy of mine was going to be a physical therapist. As part of his training he had to disect a cadaver which he had to BUY.... Long story short he flunked out but still had to pay for the body..
uggh.
m

[PoliticAverse]

2. "offers donors more favorable terms, such as picking up the body for free."

Science Care markets itself more aggressively than medical schools, they say, and offers donors more favorable terms, such as picking up the body for free.

Medical schools charge donors for picking up the donated body?

[mopinko]

7. and to deal w what remains.

a friend of mine followed her mother's instructions to donate her body. she not only had to pay to have the body picked up, when the students were done w it, she had to pay for cremation.
she checked it out at the time, and that was the norm.

[csziggy]

9. In Florida you have to pay for embalming and for transportation

To the two or three locations that accept donated bodies. The embalming process is specific, not the normal embalming - I have not checked to see if it is more expensive than normal.

I'd thought about donating my body for a forensic medical class to use. I've had so many injuries and operations, I figured it would be good practice for a criminal forensic specialist class. But the procedure is not easy and seems convoluted.

Here in Tallahassee we have both a medical school and a criminology department at Florida State University. If I wanted to donate my body I cannot specify it go to one of those departments. My body has to carried to Gainesville, then sent to whichever school they want to give it to.

So instead of donating my body right now my choice is cremation. In the long run I may arrange for a green burial.

[Glorfindel]

3. What's wrong with that?

It solves a lot of problems, especially for people like me with no real next of kin. I don't really care if they make a profit or not, I just don't want my nieces and nephews to have to worry about disposing of my remains.

[Angry Dragon]

4. Selling body parts is illegal but selling bodies is okay

strange

[dixiegrrrrl]

12. Technically, you ARE selling the parts, all in one handy package.

[Raven123]

5. How perverted

I couldn't donate my own kidney for a price if I wanted to, in order to save a life, but after I die, someone else can profit from my corpse.

[copperearth]

6. Um ... with the people dying Puerto Rico...

maybe Agent Orange can make money selling bodies off. He does need to pay for the electric grid there after all.

[madokie]

8. Please

Don't make light of us who suffer from the effects from exposure to agent orange by calling the orange anus that

we suffer enough as it is


Peace

[TygrBright]

10. Flashing back to "Florence" from "Max Headroom." n/t

[FormerOstrich]

11. I did some contract work for

Science Care a few years ago. I hated going on-site because I am allergic to formaldehyde and would instantly have a excruciating headache. I didn't like being on site at all.

Their management/employees were very clinical about their product. Maybe it wouldn't have been so creepy if my head wasn't always pounding.

Thanks for posting. I didn't even know if they were still around.

[alphafemale]

13. They are making money from labs that need bodies instead of families.

Unlike the Funeral industry grifters, that bilk grieving people out of thousands of dollars?

Spare me the crocodile tears.