X-Message-Number: 27940
From: "John de Rivaz" <>
References: <>
Subject: Re: Funding minimums clarified, etc
Date: Tue, 16 May 2006 15:52:51 +0100

Whereas I would endorse a lot of what Rudi says, I do think there needs to
be a little caution.

Although the heart surgeon parable may make sense in the case of a single
person on a good salary, if the patient has a family to support then
sometimes people will make sacrifices of this sort.

The other note of caution I would sound is instances where an elderly person
may want to sign up and would be paying $10 to 15k/year premiums. This is
fine as long as it does not impact their quality of life, but if it made
them live like a pauper as a result, having no fun at all and not eating
properly or keeping warm properly, then cryonics organisations promoting
this sort of behaviour could come under criticism; if not as frauds but
certainly irresponsible, as no one can guarantee that cryonics will, or will
not, work.

But for people with lots of money I would advise funding by several
different methods. If they all work, then fine - there is a two or three
times overfunding. But if some fail, then there is a greater chance of some
funds getting through. Also, only one has to get through quickly, and the
one favoured for that is prepayment. But there are risks with that if it
isn't irrevocable. There are also risks with life insurance that future
legislation may make it easier for receivers in bankruptcy or incompetancy
to take the money. A lot of the newer type policies can fail if premiums are
not paid, although there are some protection plans for this for certain
circumstances. One missed premium in the last month of life may be enough.

As the world's population ages (ie contains more elderly people in
proportion to earning people) governments will be getting increasingly
worried about people with money that they have earmarked for the next
generation being looked after in their later years at state expense. Laws to
enable life insurance, revocable pre-payments, revocable trusts and the
suchlike to be confiscated are more or less certain to appear.

Reanimation Foundation

Incidentally I do not recall seeing anything that suggests that the
Reanimation Foundation has any facilities to provide for family members. But
it does have an irrevocable prepayment option, and contrary to what some
people have said, it will not keep the funds if they are needed to keep the
member in cryopreservation. Instead it tries to use them to keep him
preserved, even to the extent of completely exhausting them.

So the silly situation where someone is thawed and annihilated and they have
a trust fund growing for all eternity awaiting the impossible event of their
obliterated "remains" being reanimated does not in reality exist.

The sensible situation where the patient is funded using his irrevocable
deposit with the Reanimation Foundation because his primary funding has been
confiscated because of incompetancy or bankruptcy does exist.

-- 
Sincerely, John de Rivaz:  http://John.deRivaz.com for websites including
Cryonics Europe, Longevity Report, The Venturists, Porthtowan, Alec Harley
Reeves - inventor, Arthur Bowker - potter, de Rivaz genealogy,  Nomad .. and
more

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "CryoNet" <>
To: <>
Sent: 16 May 2006 10:00
Subject: insurance

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