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