X-Message-Number: 1197
Date: 18 Sep 92 01:58:23 EDT
From: Brian Wowk <>
Subject: CRYONICS: Terminal sign up

        Regarding the sentence in my recent message:
 
> If anything, we need to more actively *discourage* terminal patients
> from joining.
 
I withdraw the word "more", and instead would like to just emphasize the 
continued importance of ensuring legal safety, informed consent, and adequate 
finances when signing up terminal patients.  For the foreseeable future Alcor 
will benefit most by recruiting healthy members, not dying ones.  Under no 
circumstances should we consider the kind of ambulance chasing advocated in 
the message mine replied to.  Perhaps someday money can safely be made this 
way, but not now.
 
        By the way, one form of discouragement I initially had in mind was 
higher minimums for terminal cases.  (Someone, Keith I think, has already 
suggested this.)  It occurred to me, though, that such a policy would be very 
difficult to implement in practice because of the ambiguity in distinguishing 
between ill, seriously ill, and terminal patients.  By way of example, my own 
mother was not considered "terminal" until 12 hours before she was suspended.  
 
 
                                                --- Brian Wowk

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