X-Message-Number: 8399
From:  (Thomas Donaldson)
Subject: Re: answers to Andrew Davidson
Date: Sat, 19 Jul 1997 12:42:04 -0700 (PDT)

Hi again!

Technically speaking, I should let either Gary Meade (Chairman of Alcor's
Patient Fund Trustees) or Fred Chamberlain (current President of Alcor) 
answer this enquiry. However as a trustee myself I still have something to
say.

This trust was set up to care for the funds Alcor receives for upkeep of 
suspended patients. For various legal reasons, which I will go into if
necessary but not here, it took some time to set up. However it provides one
more protection for these funds. 

The CURRENT income on these funds will vary depending on the market; they
are invested with several different managers. The smallest returns come from
fixed income funds (deliberately chosen for safety) and average about 6.5%.
The largest returns come from sharemarket funds, averaging about 20%.

The most important fact about these funds is that you retain complete
control of your assets while you remain alive. You have merely given Alcor
the right to them AFTER YOUR SUSPENSION. Some people have paid upfront, but
that is comparatively rare. This means that there is no issue at all about
getting your money back if you change your mind: your money remains with
you so long as you are ABLE to change your mind.

Alcor does have a yearly dues for suspension members which comes to about
$300. This is NOT returnable. It should not be: it is these dues which 
(among several other things) pay for Alcor to be ready to suspend you
on an instant's notice, anywhere in the world. Dues and donations also
help Alcor improve its abilities to do this; one of the latest improvements
now being worked on is electronic warning systems which you might have
at your house or even wear, which call Alcor if you seem to be in trouble.
While you are a member of Alcor, you receive these services, and pay for
them with (at a minimum) your dues. If you choose no longer to be a member,
the former services will cease, but you have already paid for them.

One lack which all the cryonics organizations have is that of funds for
extreme emergency services. For instance, if you are visiting France and
need suspension, it will not be inexpensive to get you out of France and
bring you to the Alcor facility or a hospital nearby. Suspension members
are expected to provide means for Alcor to access the needed funds to do 
this, independently of the funds they have allocated for their suspension.
(The problem with using life insurance here is that the standby may cost
lots of money but turn out to be a false alarm --- and someone must pay
for it regardless). At one time I had a policy with Lloyd's of London,
but that policy is now defunct. If enough suspension members of all the 
different societies existed, then such insurance policies could be written
(rather than life insurance, you might call them severe danger insurance!).
That has not yet happened, but will do so eventually (the cryonics societies
are increasing their membership constantly).

These funds, also, are not returnable because no one has taken them from
you. As with your funding for suspension, you have simply set up things
legally so that Alcor can use such funds if needed but not otherwise.

I believe this may help answer your questions. 

			Long long life,

				Thomas Donaldson

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