Ketamine Infusion Costs

We see patients from all over the country routinely for ketamine infusions. Two of the initial questions we receive are “how much does it cost” and “is it covered by insurance”. Some insurance companies do cover ketamine infusions and they have specific billing codes for ketamine infusions. Their reimbursement rates are typically not very high and that is probably one of the reasons why ketamine infusions are not done more frequently. For example, there are 30 minute procedures that we perform that yield us the same reimbursement as spending 4 hours with a patient during a ketamine infusion. The unfortunate reality is that most physicians, hospitals, and large medical groups are run like a business…it’s all about profit. What is even more unfortunate is that some of these providers and groups know how effective ketamine infusions are so the specifically do not perform them and do not refer their patients for infusions. They don’t make money if the patient gets better. We do not subscribe to that theory. We cannot subscribe to that theory. We have seen too many patients benefit from ketamine infusions. We have literally saved lives by preventing suicides with our infusions.

In some cases, ketamine infusions are not covered by insurance. In those cases, we offer a self-pay rate. Our infusions are performed in a fully accredited surgery center for safety. The surgery center will have their own self pay rate. Even though we have more experience with ketamine infusions that virtually any other private practice in the United States, our rates are relatively low. We have found some random providers charging almost 10x our rate! We have been told that our rates are some of the lowest in the country. The only reason for that is to be able to provide services to patients in need. In some cases, we have even performed infusions at a financial loss just to help the patient. To put it into perspective, our rates are lower than an average attorney and just higher than the local car dealership hourly oil change rate! Not bad for one of the most accomplished ketamine infusion anesthesiologists in the country and possibly the world!

Ketamine infusions are labor and resource intensive. A whole list of expenses, including nursing salaries, medical assistant salaries, administrative salaries, rent, malpractice insurance, business insurance, infusion pumps, monitors, supplies, medications, office expenses, debt, etc have to be paid before a profit is even entertained. Despite our office being located in a high overhead and cost-of-living location, we have still kept our rates lower than providers in low population, low overhead, low standard-of-care locations! We’ve looked around and haven’t found anyone who has a lower rate. Even if there was someone, it is highly likely that they are not pain fellowship trained anesthesiologists, not MDs, and maybe not even physicians! Would you trust your life to one of these imitators?  For your safety and outcomes, we hope not!