X-Message-Number: 4700
Date: 02 Aug 95 04:53:51 EDT
From: "Steven B. Harris" <>
Subject: CRYONICS: Long Term Co. Survival

Brook Norton says:
 
   Here is perhaps a little different angle on long term survival
of cryonics companies.  First, the real goal is not for the
[company] to survive but rather, for the patient to survive. 
[...] 
I believe the basic idea would be to somehow legally tie a lot of
funds to the patients.  Enough funds so that the interest not
only pays for upkeep, but provides a healthy profit for the
overseer.  When a co goes under, the funds tied to the patient(s)
are untouchable.  The next co would take over the patients to get
access to the profit generated by the "excess interest".  If my 
cryonics provider goes under, I want to be viewed by the rest of
the world as an opportunity for profit rather than a burden to be
delt with. 
[..] 
I know that implementing the above is financially and legally
very difficult and so I'm not criticizing existing cos for their
survival strategies at this time... but in the long run, passing
patients from co to co sounds the most secure to me. 
----------------------------------


   Brook, as you will no doubt be told, some of us are way ahead
of you.  The plan you've just outlined is very much how the set
of companies set up under CryoCare works.  We designed it to be
something like a "voucher system" for frozen people.  Under our
set of contracts you CAN be moved from storage company to storage
company, at the behest of your Advocates (whom you select, and
also the manner in which they are replaced in the future), and
your upkeep yearly stipend transfers with you, but not the
principal.  Your advocates can make *this* decision (where to
store you), but they can't thaw you out, or get at your main
funds, which are held separately.  How attractive you make it for
storage companies to store you depends entirely upon how much
money you set aside in this fashion, but that's a decision you
can make by buying insurance NOW.

   This second generation setup is indeed, we think, the optimal
way to do cryonics, and we think it's the way it will be done
most successfully in the future.  The idea and the execution is
the product of many minds, but we're all real proud of it. 

                                          Steve Harris


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