Many private insurance companies avoid giving health insurance cover to renal donors? They are not giving any thing in writing' but just avoid initation of proposals. Is it correct? Are renal donors are under any kind of increased health risk?

I am talking about mediclaim like policies to cover hosplitalization expenses. In what way a renal donor is more risk prone for hospitalization than any other oridnary person? Why do the insuarance agents shy away from renal donors?

Perhaps the most common question of a potential kidney donor is, "What are the long-term consequences to my health of living with one kidney?"

Because living kidney donation has been practiced for more than 40 years, research has been conducted on the long-term effects of donation on the donor. In general, these studies have shown very little negative impact.

Here's a digest of some of the research results:

Najarian, et al., 1992. This study of 57 donors 20 or more years after donation measured renal function, blood pressure, and proteinuria (an excess of protein in the urine) compared to their siblings. The donors showed no significant differences in health.

The study also assessed the risk of mortality from the donation process by surveying members of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons. The results yielded a mortality rate estimated to be 0.03%.

Undurraga, A, et al., 1998. A study of 74 donors showed adequate renal function when compared to a control group. A slightly higher incidence of high blood pressure, proteinuria, and microhematuria (excess blood in the urine) was identified.