X-Message-Number: 1229
Date: Thu, 24 Sep 92 22:03:01 +0200
From:  (David Stodolsky)
Subject: CRYONICS - TERMINAL SIGN-UPS

Paul Wakfer <> writes

>Re: Terminal sign-ups and Alcor dues structure

>    I think that a closer analysis will show that the entire problem
>with terminal sign-ups is twofold.  First, the problem of funding
>remote standby (as opposed to emergency response) must be solved for
>all sign-ups but is more likely to be long, difficult and expensive
>with late sign-ups (mainly due to the lack of cryonics knowledge in
>the patient, his relatives and his medical care-givers).

>From a psychological standpoint, the best dues structure is none. All
expenses associated with suspensions should be covered by suspension
funding. This makes it easy for people to become members at the earliest
possible time, thus reducing potential trouble with relatives, and last
minute legal, hospital, and logistics problems, etc.

In the discussion following my original message on terminal sign-ups,
the benefits of the proposal have not been acknowledged. First,
"terminal" sign-ups would have *more* lead time than currently. There
would be at least a half-year of "notice". Second, the software would
permit self-administration of suspension paper work, thus removing a
substantial administrative burden from ALCOR staff and cutting expenses.
This could be further developed by having an automated suspension paper
work processing system, that would received output from the suspension
paper work package by email or diskette, and perform routine checks for
completion, validity, etc. I suggest having an integrated check of the
intelligence testing component of the software package, so people would
be submitting their paper work as part of comprehensive analysis of the
results. In other words, people would submit their data in the hopes
that the more powerful analysis would reject the original test result
warning of impending death, but they would have to complete suspension
paper work to have this service provided.

If membership is to serve a purpose beyond providing money, it should be
to increase local response capability. This could be by training of
volunteers, increasing local political pressure to make hospital-based
suspensions acceptable, etc. "Standby" is a normal hospital capability,
and it is normally covered by health insurance. The move from single
organ preservation, that is an accepted hospital practice, to whole body
preservation is not that great. And it would open a new line of business
for hospitals. Many of whom are competing for business in a financially
tight market (at least this is my impression of the situation in the
USA). Cryonics has been accepted legally, now it is time to go for
political acceptance. It is time for cryonics to transform itself from a
*separatist* movement to a *mass* movement. This means a new concept of
membership must be developed.

David S. Stodolsky                Messages: + 45 46 75 77 11 x 24 41
Department of Computer Science                 Tel: + 45 31 95 92 82
Bldg. 20.1, Roskilde University Center        Internet: 
Post Box 260, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark        Fax: + 45 46 75 42 01

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