How Much is Ketamine Treatment?

Ketamine treatment has emerged as a promising option for individuals struggling with treatment-resistant mental health conditions, offering rapid relief from symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD. As such, understanding the financial aspects of this therapy is key.

This article will explore the price of ketamine treatment and the factors influencing its cost. 

Key Takeaways

• Ketamine treatment can significantly benefit individuals with various mental health disorders, including depression and PTSD.
• The cost of treatment varies widely, typically ranging from $200 to $800 per session for IV ketamine and $600 to $900 for Spravato.
• Insurance coverage for ketamine treatments can be limited, though Spravato is more likely to be covered due to its FDA approval.
• Maintenance plans are crucial for sustaining the therapeutic effects of ketamine over time.
• There is an increasing push to improve financial access to ketamine therapy through sliding scale fees, insurance partnerships, and patient assistance programs.

What is Ketamine Treatment? 

Ketamine treatment involves the use of the anesthetic ketamine to help alleviate symptoms of mental health conditions, particularly in cases where other treatments haven’t worked. 

Ketamine has a unique mechanism of action. It interacts with the brain’s glutamate system, which is responsible for learning, memory, and mood regulation. It is believed to improve neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to form new neural connections. 

Unlike traditional antidepressants, which can take weeks to show effects, ketamine can work quickly, often within hours. A single dose can also have therapeutic effects that can be sustained from several days to more than one week. 

There are many models for ketamine treatment in mental health treatment, which all have different costs involved. The medical model of ketamine treatment typically involves a series of intravenous doses administered in controlled clinical settings under close guidance from medical professionals. Certain patients may also be eligible for Spravato (esketamine), one of ketamine’s molecular components, which is administered as a nasal spray. 

Who Can Benefit from Ketamine Treatment?

Evidence shows ketamine can hugely benefit patients with a number of different indications. 

Condition	Evidence for Ketamine Treatment
Depression	Ketamine has rapid-acting antidepressant effects and can be particularly beneficial for people with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Ketamine can also rapidly alleviate symptoms of suicidality.
Anxiety	Clinical trials show ketamine can have potent anxiolytic effects. It can be beneficial for different types of anxiety, including generalized and social anxiety disorders. Case studies and online reports indicate ketamine could also help with panic attacks.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)	Observational research and one small clinical trial show ketamine treatment can help reduce symptoms of OCD.
Bipolar disorder	Ketamine can help alleviate symptoms in people with bipolar depression. One open-label study found ketamine was beneficial for those who hadn’t previously responded to conventional treatment.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)	Multiple studies show ketamine can reduce symptoms of PTSD. Clinics are also using ketamine to treat symptoms of complex PTSD (CPTSD).
Comorbid Substance Use Disorders	Studies show ketamine treatment can improve abstinence in alcoholism and cocaine and opioid use disorder.

How Much Does Ketamine Treatment Cost?

The cost of ketamine treatment can vary significantly based on several factors, including the method of administration, the healthcare facility, and the specific treatment protocol. 

Generally, IV ketamine infusions can range from $200 to $800 per session. This price variation is influenced by factors such as the clinic location, staff expertise, and additional care services.

Because IV ketamine is only approved as an anesthetic and not a mental health therapy, insurance coverage is limited. Some insurance plans may partially reimburse for IV ketamine treatments, and patients may need to pay all costs upfront. For instance, Emerge Ketamine in Woburn, Massachusetts, provides its patients with a superbill that can be sent to their insurers for reimbursement. 

Spravato is more expensive than ketamine, ranging from $600 to $900 for a single dose. However, since it is FDA-approved, many insurance companies cover treatment costs. Out-of-pocket expenses for Spravato, including co-pays and deductibles, will vary depending on the patient’s treatment plan. 

Intravenous (IV) vs. Intranasal (IN) Ketamine

There are some key differences between ketamine and Spravato, including their cost. 

Ketamine administration	Effectiveness	Cost
Intravenous ketamine	IV ketamine has a similar short-term efficacy to Spravato for TRD but potentially requires fewer treatments for a sustained response. It can also be used to treat several different mental health disorders.	Generally lower cost compared to IN esketamine. Insurance coverage is limited.
Spravato	Similar efficacy to IV ketamine for TRD. However, there is limited evidence for the use of Spravato in other mental health indications.	Doses are more expensive, but eligible patients can get full insurance coverage.

Maintenance Therapy with Ketamine

Maintenance plans are important with ketamine and Spravato treatments because their effects are temporary. While ketamine works more quickly and lasts longer than daily medications, its benefits can fade over time. Regular maintenance sessions help keep symptoms under control and extend the therapeutic effects.

In the initial phase, treatments are typically given two to three times weekly. Once the condition stabilizes, maintenance doses are provided roughly once every three to four weeks, depending on the patient’s response. 

The overall cost of ketamine treatment will, therefore, vary depending on the number of overall sessions they have. 

Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria

To qualify for ketamine treatment, a patient’s medical and psychiatric history is thoroughly checked. Insurance typically does not cover these evaluations, and the cost will depend on the area and the clinic. 

To meet the criteria for receiving therapy, patients will need a diagnosable mental health disorder. For Spravato, patients will have TRD or major depressive disorder with suicidal ideation (MDSI). These diagnoses are required to get insurance coverage for the treatment.  

Exclusion criteria for ketamine treatment typically include individuals with a history of substance abuse, uncontrolled hypertension, or certain psychiatric disorders such as active psychosis or severe personality disorders. Additionally, those with a hypersensitivity to ketamine or its components, as well as pregnant or breastfeeding individuals, are generally advised against using this treatment.

Increasing Access to Ketamine Treatment

There is a growing push to increase financial access to ketamine treatments, especially as awareness of its effectiveness for severe mental health disorders rises. Advocates argue that because ketamine can be life-saving for individuals with treatment-resistant mental health issues, it should be more affordable and accessible.

To address this, some clinics are implementing sliding scale fees based on income, while others are working to establish partnerships with insurance companies to broaden coverage for ketamine therapy. Additionally, patient assistance programs and discounts from manufacturers are being explored to help reduce out-of-pocket costs. 

 FAQs

Sources

• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6493357/
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9053551/
• https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/01/30/1227630630/ketamine-infusion-clinic-mental-health-depression-anxiety-fda-off-label