X-Message-Number: 4645 Date: Tue, 18 Jul 95 16:57:10 From: Steve Bridge <> Subject: The elderly and cryonics To CryoNet >From Steve Bridge, Alcor July 18, 1995 To all: I'm a bit behind in correspondence to some of you and I haven't replied to the postings here that I need to. I took one week's vacation and got three weeks behind. Such is life when you're trying to change the world with too few people and too little money. But I'm getting caught up again and will post a bit more now. In reply to: Message #4633 From: Date: Mon, 17 Jul 1995 00:12:54 -0400 Subject: elderly in cryonics.... The other answers given already to this post were pretty accurate, but I have a few additional comments. >1. Is there any way anyone could think,(financially), of getting >suspension performed for an elderly person who because of age does >not qualify for life insurance? I know at least one elderly man who delayed signing up for cryonics for several years because he misunderstood and thought that the ONLY way he could fund his suspension was through life insurance. He had plenty of funds available to pay cash in advance, and we finally made all of that clear to him. Alcor, by its Bylaws, is required to place prepayment funds into a separate investment account (usually in a bank) insured against loss by the Federal government. We cannot use those funds until the member goes into suspension. Also, there are various combinations of trust funds, investment accounts, and already existing insurance that can be combined for suspension funding. And we will accept real property as *part* of the suspension funding, under carefully protected and very limited conditions. >Like, are there any organizations out there who do charity for the sake >of experimentation or anything? We are a 501(c)3 charitable organization; but we can't afford to do suspensions for free. We would have a lot of volunteers if we did. Whole body suspension with Alcor is $120,000 minimum donation (we always encourage more); neurosuspension is minimum $50,000. Upfront costs on a suspension for Alcor (this varies by organization, obviously) run about $25,000-$35,000. Then we place most of the rest (at least $70,000 for a whole body; $17,000 for a neuro) in an investment account to earn enough money to pay ongoing expenses indefinitely. Unfortunately, all of this would take a LOT of charity. But as others have said, if the individual has little estate available, perhaps relatives or friends would be willing to help out. With a tax-exempt, non-profit like Alcor, those donations could be charitable deductions for the donor. >2. Would an elderly person (presently 90 years old) even qualify for >suspension anyways? I mean like does someone have to be in pretty good >health before suspension (except for being dead of course that is!). The only qualifications for cryonic suspension are 1) want it, 2) be legally able to sign the documents or have a custodian who can sign, 3) have funding available, 4) and (as someone else said) not be dying of some disease that will turn the suspension team into more patients. Age is not a barrier. We have several members in their 90's. It seems pretty clear to me that, whether cryonics works or not, aging will be both preventable and reversible within the next 50 years or so. If cryonic suspension preserves the identity of the individual and future technologists figure out how to revive that individual, then he or she also will be revived in near perfect health -- which means the same thing as "young-looking." Finally, there are several cryonics groups represented on-line here, with varying prices, policies, and philosophies. We'll all be happy to send you literature or sign-up information if you privately give us your regular mail address (not to mention your actual name!) Steve Bridge, President Alcor Life Extension Foundation Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=4645