I’m just beyond the 30-gal mark, but not because I’m virtuous. Two words: vampire liberty. The Navy used to give me the rest of the day off, and I’ve extended that tradition.
Blood processing requires licensed professionals to preform testing. The equipment, reagents, and labor are all expensive.
Having “rare blood” is not limited to your ABO type. There are many blood group systems, including (but not limited to) the Rh, Kell, Duffy, Kidd, Lewis, MNS, and Lutheran systems. Rh is more complicated than just positive or negative. That refers to just one antigen (the D antigen). There are also big C, little c, big E, little e, Cw, V, and F (as well as rare ones). The Kell system is made up of 6 antigens. This isn’t even touching on the REALLY rare blood types, like Bombay phenotype or Vel negative (less than 0.1% of the population is Vel negative.)
Blood centers are closing and/or consolidating operations so that they can afford to stay open. They aren’t making a fortune off of your blood. They’re barely staying afloat. And the FDA will not allow blood to be payed for if it is to be transfused. Plasma that is sold can NOT be transfused. Transfused plasma is obtained from whole blood transfusion. The FDA also sets donor requirements, so boycotting your local donor center because they won’t accept blood from a homosexual person does nothing. Petition the FDA. That’s where change has to come from.