The nation's hospitals will pay more for blood collected by the American Red Cross, which plans to raise its prices by July to help pay off debts. Red Cross officials said today that they could not say how much the price would increase nationally. We want to be able to ensure tomorrow's blood supply by investing in today's.
National officials say the prices are being determined by local blood centers.
Indiana hospitals, for example, have already learned their prices are rising 10 percent to 35 percent. Since 1996, the cost of the Red Cross collecting, testing, transporting and delivering blood has risen 27 percent. In that same time, officials said, prices for their products have risen 9.9 percent. Not Increase Officials said they need more money for research and development and to create a strategic blood reserve for emergencies. The Red Cross collects 6.5 million units of blood a year.