X-Message-Number: 12379
From: Thomas Donaldson <>
Subject: a short comment on life insurance, plus other things
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 1999 11:16:16 +1000 (EST)

A comment about life insurance for Brook Norton:

Most life insurance companies have contracts which give a time limit
during which death by suicide will cause them not to pay up. The time
limits do vary, but I don't know of any life insurance company which 
insists that someone NEVER EVER commit suicide. 

They seem to have in mind the aim of preventing people from taking out
life insurance and them immediately committing suicide, say to give the
money to their relatives or children. 

Naturally we also should look very closely at any proposed law allowing
assisted suicide. Bob Ettinger's point that we might be able to find 
friendly medical examiners, and the further point by Scott Badger about
reasons for suicide deserve close attention. Not just Alzheimers but
Parkinson's disease, and any florid brain tumor, end by destroying most
of our brain. Up to now the only means that cryonicists have used is
starvation, but perhaps with a friendly medical examiner we might be
able to have a less difficult deanimation.

			Best and long long life for all,

				Thomas Donaldson

Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=12379