X-Message-Number: 4327 Date: Mon, 01 May 95 17:39:05 From: Derek Ryan <> Subject: Re: The Finances of Signing Up In Message #4304 (Re: The finances of signing up), Joseph J. Strout writes: >Jim wrote about the benefits of signing up early, when life insurance is >cheap. But it should be pointed out that one can sign up for (large >amounts of life insurance) now, and sign up for cryonics much later. In >fact, this is exactly what my wife and I have done. It requires merely >checking that the beneficiary can be transferred to an organization at >some time in the future. (Allstate appears to be cooperative about this.) This is a very good point. Younger individuals especially will find that maintaining an appropriate life insurance policy actually can cost less than yearly suspension membership dues with a cryonics organization, meaning that suspension funding is less than half of the total cost of cryonics. For the interested, there are a few more intermediate steps that can be taken to make your cryonic suspension possible should you be unlucky enough to need it before you have completed suspension arrangements with a cryonics organization: 1) Sign a "Declaration of Intent to be Cryonically Suspended." Put your desire in writing, and have it witnessed. Alcor has a standard Declaration of Intent available upon request. A Declaration is not a suspension contract, and does not obligate any person or organization to freeze you. It MIGHT make it possible for your next of kin to have you frozen, though. 2) Appoint a Medical Surrogate (via a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care) who is sympathetic to your wishes, and include pro-cryonics wording in the body of the document. These two acts, combined with appropriate funding, MIGHT provide enough leverage for your spouse or next of kin to get you frozen in an emergency. Naturally, there is no guarantee, express or implied, that any cryonics organization will take your case. Alcor adds a $25,000 surcharge for "last minute cases" (i.e., patients who cannot sign their own membership documents). I assume other organizations have similar policies. Long Life! Derek Ryan Membership Administrator Alcor Life Extension Foundation Phone: 602-922-9013 Email: Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=4327