X-Message-Number: 6009
From:  (RHA)
Newsgroups: sci.cryonics
Subject: Re: Oregon doctor-assisted suicide
Date: 29 Mar 1996 21:32:43 -0600
Message-ID: <4jia0r$>
References: <4j7b09$> <>

In article <>, Brian Wowk <> wrote:

>In <4j7b09$>  (RHA) 
writes:
>
>>>Can you cite any examples of where an
>>>insurance company successfully avoided paying a claim 
>>>because of suicide occuring after the two-year contenstibility
>>>period? 
>>> 
>
>> Obviously I don't. It probably isn't worth the court costs to
>> actually fight such cases. But imagine a "suicide" where the
>> "victim" arranges for a prolonged demise so that cryonic services
>> are available long before brain damage occurs.
>
>	If it isn't worth the court costs to fight paying out
>on suicide cases, why would it be worth the court costs to
>fight healthy people who choose to jump into cryonics (assuming
>such craziness ever materializes)?

  The difference is 

    1) Suicides do not plan two years in advance. Suicide, in 
       western culture is rarely a well thought out act. It 
       usually requires, at least temporary,  extreme
       depression.

    2) Someone willing to undergo cryonics *can* plan ahead.
     
       Look at the financial rewards, pay two years of premiums
       and leave hundreds of thousands to your beneficiaries with
       the only stipulation being that they prepurchase your 
       cryonics coverage.

  People won't "bungee" jump into the future??? I'll take that bet.
  People do far dumber things every day. (Yeah, I consider Cryonics
  an absolute certainity.)

  My fundamental point concerns the numbers involved. Suicide isn't a 
  major cause of death to insurance companies, that's why it doesn't 
  pay them to go to court because even where they do, court costs eat 
  a large  portion of their savings and they have the publicity of 
  hauling grieving relatives in to court and demanding their money back.
  Doesn't look good on the six o'clock news. Add cryonics to the mix.
  Now they have to view each suicide as a potential fraud by cryonics.
  Do they go to court? Only if, and I argue it will, "suicide" rates
  begin moving up. Their only option will be to treat cryonics as a 
  long term medical treatment....and not a death! Which means medical
  insurance pays.
-- 
rha


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