X-Message-Number: 11711
From: 
Date: Sun, 9 May 1999 14:03:33 EDT
Subject: flexibility in cryonics organizations

Another word about flexibility in cryonics organizations:

Most of the organizations are trying to increase their flexibility and the 
range of choices of their members. American Cryonics Society (ACS) and 
CryoCare offer "unbundled" services, using subcontractors for the physical 
work (although ACS may also do initial preparation directly). Alcor currently 
offers vertical integration only, but is working toward use of a separate 
corporation, BioTransport, for initial preparation, with the intention that 
BioTransport will also offer contracts to other cryonics organizations. Trans 
Time (TT) offers whatever services a customer wants, with BioTime technology 
available for initial preparation.

Cryonics Institute, in my opinion, has the greatest degree of flexibility, 
both now and contemplated. Most members choose CI for full service--vertical 
integration--but there are plenty of other choices. We currently have 
explicit agreements with ACS and TT, whereby a CI member may choose joint 
membership with ACS and shared responsibility as specified in the contracts, 
and a CI member may choose initial preparation at TT followed by storage at 
CI.

But explicit agreements with other organizations are not essential in most 
cases. If a CI member signs a standard contract, which says that CI 
responsibility begins when the patient is delivered to CI, then the member 
can easily enough make a separate agreement with someone else for initial 
preparation, if he wants that for either geographical considerations or some 
other reason. If the patient is perfused somewhere else and shipped to CI in 
dry ice, we are not going to thaw him out and reperfuse him, even in the 
absence of specific instructions; we will just cool him down to liquid 
nitrogen temperature and store him. 

Alcor in the past, as I understand it, has not been willing to allow either 
preparation at Alcor followed by storage elsewhere, or preparation elsewhere 
followed by storage at Alcor. They cite legal liability questions. I have 
already mentioned the possible future use of BioTransport. Whether Alcor will 
in that event also continue its own direct preparation option is unclear. But 
if Alcor does continue its own preparation option, or if BioTransport never 
gels, I don't see any very strong reason why Alcor should not offer 
preparation-only services; and if it ever does, that will be another option 
for CI members.

CI flexibility--and greater future flexibility--extends to other areas also. 
For example, in the past there has been a very limited range of acceptable 
funding mechanisms. Life insurance has been the main one; another is a bank 
account with the cryonics organization as successor upon death of the member; 
prepayment also has certain advantages both to the member and CI. CI also has 
available an approved form of Living Trust, by means of which many kinds of 
assets can be pledged. We also now offer to accept a pledge of real estate 
upon death of the member, subject to individual negotiation and with a higher 
minimum; this is especially useful for older members who may not be eligible 
for life insurance and have no other sufficient assets. In the future, we may 
even accept payment through a bequest; this has been ruled out in the past 
(as the main funding mechanism) because of the delays and uncertainties of 
probate; but as our financial strength grows it will become reasonable to 
take carefully calculated risks in exchange for funding at a higher level.

Finally, the old refrain: Don't be like the donkey that starved to death 
between two piles of hay. Make a choice without excessive delay. Flip a coin, 
if you have to. Any choice is better than none. I think all of the current 
organizations will survive, and that they are run by responsible people.  If 
you change your mind later, no big deal--nobody demands serious money up 
front. (Well, there are always some with extremely limited cash available, 
but we can accommodate most of those too; our Option Two membership requires 
only $120 cash up front as the first year's non-voting membership fee, or $35 
quarterly.)

Robert Ettinger
Cryonics Institute
Immortalist Society
http://www.cryonics.org

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