Our basic suspension ("Standard Procedure") plan is priced to match the most economical plans available through any other reputable company. 

The "California Procedure" makes use of a team of specialist relying upon recent research results.  It is considerably more expensive than the Standard Procedure, but is the most technologically sophisticated suspension available anywhere. 

Both of these procedures advance research and contribute to achieving our goals.

In order for the American Cryonics Society to perform a cryonic suspension for you, we need you to do three things:

1. Provide the funds for your own suspension and long-term maintenance.

2. Become a member of the American Cryonics Society and pay dues. (Membership Application with dues structure can be found here.)

3. Provide ACS with the legal authority to perform a suspension by completing the proper forms.

An ACS protective LN2 storage container is employed as an additional safeguard. We recommend an additional $5,000 be provided as a transportation allowance and for local mortuary assistance.

* Under all three options, vitrification procedures are used where appropriate with emphasis on vitrifying brain tissue.

** Unless otherwise specified by the member, ACS will apply the funds made available to what it determines to be the most appropriate of the above options based upon the circumstances presented at the time of deanimation.

*** Funding recommendations are subject to future changes.

Recommended Minimum Funding

ACS members typically provide funding through life insurance, which is readily affordable for most people. Alternative funding includes annuities, trusts, designated bank accounts, stock funds and real estate. In some cases ACS will accept responsibility for suspension of a patient where less than the above minimums are provided.

Often associated companies work with the American Cryonics Society ("ACS") to help provide cryonics services for ACS members. In addition, ACS has limited independent in-house capabilities. Often contract mortuaries, ambulance services, individual doctors, and medical technicians are employed.

ACS members sign-up directly with ACS, and ACS is responsible to make use of its own resources, and those of its associated companies, to give its members the best and most cost-effective suspension and long-term cold storage possible with this combination of resources and talent.

Funding recommendations are based upon provisions of our current contracts, our thirty plus years experience with cryonics, and projecting current costs to future expected situations. After initial suspension costs are met, a fund is established to pay future maintenance costs. Currently interest or investment income is adequate to meet maintenance costs for all ACS patient funds.

While forecasts and projections are based upon conservative economic assumptions, ACS does not "guarantee" that future costs will not exceed projections. Since ACS bases recommendations upon conservative economic assumptions, our suspensions are funded at a somewhat higher rate than that suggested by other companies. We would rather have higher funding, and find we don't need it, than to fall short.

For ACS patients in storage at the CI facility, a portion of the patients' funds go directly to CI and becomes part of CI's general patient funds. The remainder of the patient’s funds are then invested by the American Cryonics Society as part of a trust or dedicated fund. The ACS invested funds are used to support research and as a separate fund to ensure the continued maintenance and perhaps future revival of the patient(s). This diversification of invested assets provides an additional margin of safety which is unique to the ACS program.

In addition to the whole bodies, whose continued suspension is under the direction of the American Cryonics Society, a few of our members have chosen “neuropreservation” where only their heads or brains were frozen. This decision was made for cost consideration, and because they believed that the neuropreservation procedure would give them the highest probability for future reanimation. Neuropreservation is not currently available to ACS members, though we continue to list this option in our menue of choices on the Agreement for Suspension Membership form as a choice should it again become available. Additionally, we realize that there are circumstances such as where autopsy follows death where the brain is separated from the rest of the body by a medical examiner and suspension of the brain only can be justified. We consider each such circumstance separately. Obviously, neuropreservation is considerably cheaper than whole body suspension since there is less material to maintain at liquid nitrogen temperature.