Organ transplants can come with a price tag of more than $2M without insurance

In 2024, the US had more organ transplants than ever before—besting the 2023 record

More than 48,000 organ transplants were performed in 2024, and about 46,630 were performed in 2023. These record highs are illustrated here as part of data from 1988 to partway through 2025. Kidneys, livers, and the heart remain the most common transplanted organs. (Some users may encounter a paywall.)

Global xenotransplantation market may already be valued at more than $13B

With more than 100,000 people on the waiting list for organs at any given time in the United States, there's a known demand for organ transplants. Some estimates put the value of the global xenotransplantation market above $13B in recent years—and project the market to continue growing.

Transplant organs don't always last a lifetime—that's where retransplants come in

How long a transplanted organ lasts depends on a variety of factors including the type of organ and the health of the recipient. Sometimes organs can last many decades, but other times people may need retransplants, which means another transplant following a previous one. Retransplants are most common with kidneys.

Living donations most commonly involve a kidney or part of a liver

In 2023, more than 6,900 transplants were made possible thanks to living donors. Living donation is when a living person donates an organ or part of an organ—usually one of their two kidneys or part of the liver, since that organ can regenerate in a healthy person. Much more rarely, living donors donate other organs. Living donations often occur when someone wants to ensure a loved one has certainty that they will quickly receive a needed organ.

Immunosuppressants enable organ transplants, but come with severe side effects

This drug cocktail helps to lower your body's natural response to attack a transplanted organ. Such medications usually need to be taken for a lifetime after receiving an organ and can come with serious side effects including high blood pressure, diabetes, increased risk of some cancers, and high cholesterol, among others.

NSF-funded research into matching algorithms improved the success of organ transplants

Investigations in game theory, including concepts focused on creating mutually beneficial partnerships—matching theory—led to the design of computer systems that efficiently matched kidney recipients and live donors, resulting in higher-quality matches. By 2019, these matching algorithms were used for multi-organ exchanges.

About 2,000 US babies are born annually without some portion of their limbs, potentially leading to a lifetime of pricey prosthetics.

Listen to the evolving economics of prosthetics

Amputees must navigate the challenging medical and economic aspects of limb support and replacement, but advances in technology and research may reduce these costs. A below-knee prosthetic typically costs $15,000 to $20,000—not counting all the rehab costs.

The cost of covering family health insurance has tripled in 20 years

The Milliman Medical Index tracks the real cost of health insurance for people covered through employer-sponsored plans. In 2025, healthcare for a family of four cost an average of $35K, including employer contributions, out-of-pocket expenses, premiums, and offset wages.

Brain death is a top source of organ donation

Brain death is a significant source of organ donations because patients declared brain dead and hooked up to intensive care unit machines will still have oxygen flowing to organs like the heart, lungs, and kidneys—preserving those organs.

Life insurance premiums can cost anywhere between $80 and $1K a month, depending on the policy

A life insurance premium is essentially the monthly cost or fee someone pays to an insurance company in exchange for a specified sum of money after their death to their beneficiaries. Factors like term length, health and lifestyle, and any added benefits can impact your premium.

How much your blood really costs

In the US, donating plasma twice a week can earn you $400 a month. But this system only works by targeting people who need the money most. Plasma clinics are placed in low-income zip codes, and frequent donation may increase health risks.

Chinese scientists transplanted a pig lung into a human being—but it had to be removed

In August 2025, Chinese scientists transplanted a pig lung into a brain-dead person, a common research step for this type of experimental work. Researchers used CRISPR technology to alter six proteins in the pig genes to make the organ seem less foreign to the human immune system. Within a day there were indications the organ wasn’t functioning well and that the person’s body was rejecting it. Scientists ended the experiment after nine days.

The lifetime costs of caring for a dog can run anywhere from $16,440 to $52,075

The cost depends on the dog's breed, size, and ongoing health conditions, according to a recent Rover survey. Tactics such as purchasing dog food in bulk and asking for a generic version of your dog's prescription medications can help reduce costs.

The average number of IVF cycles before a viable pregnancy is 2.5

Health insurance often does not cover IVF treatment, and Medicaid coverage for fertility services differs by state. As a result, the cost of IVF is often unrealistic for low-income families.

Private equity's expansion into healthcare has been criticized for raising patient medical costs

Between 2000 and 2018, PE's total investment in healthcare ballooned from $5B to $100B. While healthcare systems originally began consolidating as a solution to navigating complex regulations (and to make working with insurance companies easier), research suggests that private equity has both increased patient costs and decreased the quality of care in hospitals and doctors' offices.

Becoming an Olympic swimmer costs tens of thousands of dollars

When you see Olympic athletes win gold, it's the culmination of years of hard work and discipline. But it isn't all sweat equity. Before ever stepping foot on the world stage, these athletes have to pay or find funding for private coaching and lessons, club memberships, and meet fees, with estimates that it costs $25K to $40K to make it to the Olympics.

Where to buy organic on a budget

In the past year, prices for organic fruits and vegetables rose 13.1%, significantly higher than the price increase of non-organic foods. While buying organic can be costly, certain stores can help organic shoppers save. This list highlights produce stores you may have been overlooking, like Trader Joe's and Walmart. Peruse the list and keep you grocery costs down.

Artificial Christmas trees can range from about $85 to $1K or more

In 2022, 22.34 million real Christmas trees were purchased and sold at a median price of $80. Even so, from a price standpoint, a fake tree is usually the less expensive option in the long run, as they're reusable and can save time and maintenance.

An MBA return on investment calculator

On average, the total investment for an MBA degree is more than $200K, which includes tuition, living expenses, lost income, and potential interest on student loans. This calculator can help you figure out your own future MBA degree’s estimated ROI based on your unique situation.

The total cost of weather and climate disasters from 1980 to 2024 is almost $3T

The NOAA’s Office of Coastal Management tracks the cost of damage, deaths, and other key statistics related to hurricanes and weather disasters. In 2024, there were 27 billion-dollar disasters, each averaging $1.2B more in damage than the prior five-year average.

Learn how to set up a trust

Setting up a trust often costs at least a few thousand dollars, given that the process typically requires paying for a lawyer’s time. An article lays out the step-by-step process one should follow in order to set a trust up.

The expedition purchased more than 260 separate items to supply their journey

Preparing for two years in the wilderness, Lewis acquired hundreds of supplies, including medicine, food, weapons, and 63 lbs of pigtail tobacco. The total bill was estimated to be around $2,324 (around $60,000 today).

Heart attack risk jumps to 21 times its norm on the day of a loved one's death

Research published in 2012 suggests that the intense emotional burden of suffering a loved one's death can escalate heart rate, blood pressure, and clot risks—culminating in elevated heart attack risk. The increased heart attack risk remains after that first day, remaining eight times above normal during the first week, and then dropping down over the course of a month. (Some users may encounter a paywall.)

How much tax you would owe on a $14M inheritance

“Death taxes” refer to estate and inheritance taxes—fees imposed on wealth transfers after someone passes. While the federal estate tax only applies to estates over $13.61 million in 2024, some states, like Washington, have their own taxes.

The incredibly advanced engineering of the B-2 Bomber

B-2 Bombers are the world's most expensive plane, coming in at a cost of $2B per aircraft. There are roughly 20 in the world, all in use by the United States Air Force. They are known for their single-wing profile, allowing for stealth and the ability to transport some of the world's largest bombs.

US consumers collectively owe more than $1T to credit card companies—almost as much as they owe in auto loans.

Use this calculator to find the dollar value of your mental load, from meal planning to coordinating after-school care for your children.

Bone marrow (soft tissue found inside certain bones) generates roughly 500 billion new blood cells each day

The most expensive ad of all time was for Chanel No. 5 perfume and cost roughly $33M to produce in 2004—about $57M in today's dollars.

Before the current East Wing ballroom project, only two White House renovations in the past 100 years cost more than $10M.

Art theft is the third-largest source of criminal revenues worldwide, thanks in part to the subjective nature of valuing a work of art.

Indefinite cloning of some endangered species may not sustain their longevity because cloning success rates decrease as genetic mutations accumulate.

The price of gas is a composite made up of several different factors, with the federal gas tax making up less than 20% of what drivers pay at the pump.

See images of medical cases of firework injuries shared on this 'Instagram for doctors.' (Warning: Graphic content)

Alzheimer's can lead to brain shrinkage, with an average of around 2% of volume reduction per year

Watch what the Ebola virus does inside our cells and organs in order to spread and survive.

Telehealth demand for GLP-1s for weight loss is booming as consumers seek easier access.

Stanford built a Google Maps for the Roman Empire, revealing how much it cost to travel in the ancient world

An initial public offering or 'IPO' is the process of a private company becoming public by putting shares of the company on the stock market for purchase.

See how each of the more than two million known species relates to each other—and to common ancestors—in this zoomable tree of life.

Louisiana's 'Cancer Alley' is infamous for having some of the highest industrial pollution, toxic air emissions, and cancer risks in the US.

Against his wishes, Albert Einstein's brain was removed before his cremation, and the pathologist responsible stored it for decades in mason jars within a beer cooler.

The 1987 Nintendo video game 'Stadium Events' isn't known for being particularly fun, but its scarcity has made it a highly sought-after item that has sold for up to $35K at auction.

Apeirophobia is an overwhelming fear of living forever, perhaps stemming from the brain's inability to conceptualize an infinite life.

Take a 3D tour of the Hajj, Islam's annual pilgrimage to Mecca, undertaken by more than 1.5 million Muslims each year.

Objects can be 3D printed with light by projecting 2D computerized tomography (CT) scans onto rotating cylinders of resin, which solidify upon exposure.

A Yale student wrote a profound essay about the consulting industry's influence on elite college students that was published in a book of her writing after she died in a post-graduation car accident.

Neutron stars, the remains of some massive stars after they explode in a supernova, are the densest directly observable objects in the universe.

In 2026, Finland was named the world's happiest country for the ninth consecutive year based on its wealth, social safety network, and high life expectancy, among other factors.