I've been part of the brain death, cardiac death decision process, and I do not believe that there is a conspiracy afoot to declare people dead prematurely. Doctors are required to do a number of tests before somebody is declared brain dead. Cardiac death is more straightforward. Doctors aren't perfect, and I suspect that when mistakes have been made it has been the result of proper procedures not being followed.
I agree that healthy living is the best way to reduce your need for an organ transplant, but that doesn't do people with genetic organ defects much good. My cousin's husband has an autoimmune disease that attacks his lungs, and he will require a lung transplant in the next ten years. There is nothing that he could have done to prevent it, and I pray that an appropriate donor will be available when it is necessary for him to get the transplant.
Also, the article lies when it talks about quality control standards. The vast majority of people are not candidates for organ donation, even if they want to be. Also, the organ donation sticker on your license means nothing, in the hospital nobody will be aware of your organ donation status, and it will not affect your treatment in any way. It is all up to your family to make any decisions about actually donating your organs. I work in the hospital system, and I've watched doctors make the decisions about brain death, and I still want to be an organ donor if I die early.
