How Much is Ketamine Treatment
The Costs of Ketamine Therapy
The short answer is that the cost of ketamine therapy depends on the type of treatment a patient receives. Different delivery methods prove to have different efficacies. This is because depending on the way the drug is administered to the body, the bioavailability of it can change. Bioavailability is an indicator of how much of a substance reaches the bloodstream and can be used by the body after being administered. Here is a quick breakdown of the costs and differences among the various methods of treatment:
Oral Treatment:
- The cheapest form of treatment, costing around $75 to $200. Oral treatment can either be in the form of pills or lozenges placed under the tongue. Both are priced similarly but have different bioavailability. Pills sit at around 20%; whereas lozenges work a little better, with a bioavailability of 30%.
Intranasal Sprays:
- Cost a little more than oral treatments, at roughly $300 per bottle. Having a wide range of 25% to 50%, the bioavailability of ketamine for intranasal sprays depends largely on the way they are formulated (liquids, powders, etc.).
Intramuscular Injections:
- Costing upwards of $500 per treatment, injections do have better bioavailability at just above 90%.
IV Infusion:
- The most expensive at around $750 per session, ketamine infusion therapy has the highest bioavailability, meaning it is by far the most effective form of treatment, at nearly 100%. Administration can also be controlled and managed very meticulously.
Is Ketamine Therapy Covered by Insurance?
Unfortunately, most large insurance providers, as well as Medicare and Medicaid, do not yet cover ketamine therapy. This is because it is not officially approved by the FDA for depression, anxiety, or PTSD as of January 2024. This may soon change: as recently as June 2024, the FDA has been holding public meetings on using ketamine for “therapeutic interest.” Furthermore, substantial progress has been made, as the intranasal spray, Spravato, also known as esketamine, was approved by the FDA in 2019 and is covered by some insurance providers.
Thus, this therapy is at a tipping point in the market, just now gaining traction as a unique, innovative way to treat mental health concerns, including Treatment Resistant depression. At Mindstream Medicine, we provide intramuscular sessions for $400 and intravenous sessions for $450 each. What’s especially unique about Mindstream is that we prioritize patient comfortability. We make sure during all treatments, patients are closely monitored by medical professionals to ensure the smoothest possible experience.
If you have more questions or are wondering how to get ketamine infusions covered by insurance, check out our Frequently Asked Questions page. You can read more about our patients’ experience with our treatments on our Testimonials Page. To learn more about the efficacy of infusion therapy in treating TRD and its history, check out our recent blog posts. Finally, if you are interested in learning more about ketamine for depression and located in the Philadelphia area, reach out to us at Mindstream Medicine today.
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