X-Message-Number: 9801 Date: Thu, 28 May 1998 17:22:21 -0800 From: American Cryonics Society <> Subject: Regarding: CryoCare Reliability Concerns [B. F. Shelton] The speculative aspect of cryonics makes it difficult, or impossible, to offer guarantees against future cost increases. Such increases could require additional funding for suspension, long term maintenance, or (most speculative of all), possible future reanimation. In Message #9790 "B. F. Shelton" wrote: >Cryonics organizations that do not increase the fee to a signed-up >customer/member, appear to attempt to stay solvent through growth, >investments, endowments, caps on technological expense, etc. Despite >obvious disadvantages connected with some of these, it is easy to see why >many feel they are a better gamble than to risk being "priced out" of any >cryopreservation at all, after being signed up and paying annual dues for >years or decades. My reply: While B. F. Shelton raises concerns regarding CryoCare, since the American Cryonics Society ("ACS") also does not guarantee that fees will not increase, I will address this concern: ACS has some experience with suspension costs and fee increases, and it would be foolish for us to ignore that history and gamble that endowments, investments, or growth will enable use to avoid increases. In 1969, when ACS was first incorporated, an endowment (insurance policy) for $10,000 was the minimum recommended. This amount was not well thought out, but was simply what the Cryonics Society of New York, and the Cryonics Society of California were then requiring. In 1974, ACS (then "BACS") raised this recommendation to $50,000 based on expected costs of suspension and maintenance, and conservative assumptions on return on investment. There have been increases since, and our current recommendations are the same (or about the same) as CryoCare and Alcor. Living members can increase their funding as necessary, or (alternatively) we can provide other types of suspension (such as head-only suspension, or whole body suspension through our cooperative arrangement with the Cryonics Institute). For members already in suspension, any cost increases for the initial suspension will not impact them. The fees have already been paid. There have been much less substantial increases in long-term storage fees than for suspension costs, and the funding provided has been sufficient. Of course we hope that various methods will allow us to avoid future cost increases; and our minimum funding recommendations have remained about the same for the past ten years. We are aware that it would be comforting to members if we "guaranteed" that we would not increase our fees. That comfort would disappear for any member who then inquired as to how the organization intends to back up its guarantee. The technological advances in suspension methods now being made are likely to require a further increase in funding. Had we made promises of "no increase" we would be in the position of not being able to offer the new technology, or of gambling further that "volume" or "donations" would pay for it. WHEN the "growth, investments, endowments, caps on technological expense, etc." enable us to do so THEN we reduce our minimum recommended funding. We don't reduce it now (or cap it) in the HOPE of positive results from these sources. Yes, this conservative approach may mean that some people are priced out of the market by future price increases. The alternative is that the cryonics organization itself disappears. One minute you are congratulating yourself for having booked passage on a "guaranteed" unsinkable ship. The next, you discover you are aboard the Titanic! Of course the "Titanic" scenario is not likely to happen. Rather, you get a letter from the leaders of your cryonics organization telling you that (for reasons beyond their control), the guarantees that they made you no longer apply, and you will be required to pony up additional cash if you want to stay in the program. Long life, Jim Yount =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+American Cryonics Society (650)254-2001 FAX (650)967-4444 P.O. Box 1509 Cupertino, CA 95015 =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=9801