X-Message-Number: 4694
Date: 31 Jul 1995 07:11:27 U
From: "Norton, Brook" <>
Subject: Patient long term survival

Here is perhaps a little different angle on long term survival of cryonics
companies.  First, the real goal is not for the co to survive but rather, for
the patient to survive.  When a private art gallery goes bankrupt, the
masterpieces are not destroyed with the co.  They are sold to another art
gallery that is more efficient, and the masterpiece "lives on" in a new home. 
When a family goes bankrupt, the mother's diamond ring isn't crushed, its sold
and "lives on" with another family.  So isn't there a way to treat the patients
like masterpieces or diamond rings.... to make the patient a commodity that
other companies would be willing to pay for should the first cryonics co go
under?  In this way the patient "lives on" regardless of whether the co lasts a
year or a century.

I believe the basic idea would be to somehow legally tie a lot of funds to the
patients.  Enough funds so that the interest not only pays for upkeep, but
provides a healthy profit for the overseer.  When a co goes under, the funds
tied to the patient(s) are untouchable.  The next co would take over the
patients to get access to the profit generated by the "excess interest".  If my
cryonics provider goes under, I want to be viewed by the rest of the world as
an opportunity for profit rather than a burden to be delt with.

Perhaps another variation on this theme is an industry insurance fund that all
cos contribute to.  Should one co go under, the insurance pays the next co
enough money to make it worth their while to take over the patients.

I know that implementing the above is financially and legally very difficult
and so I'm not criticizing existing cos for their survival strategies at this
time... but in the long run, passing patients from co to co sounds the most
secure to me.

Brook Norton


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