Many Insurance Providers Now Cover Ketamine for Depression
Minneapolis, MN June 6, 2022
Advanced Brain + Body Clinic Ketamine TMS (AB+BC) founders Dr. Stephen Manlove and Dr. Brian Johns hadn’t expected to double the size of their new interventional psychiatry clinic in Minnetonka only 4 months after opening their door in April of 2021. Their goal: to take on the most intractable or treatment-resistant cases of depression, anxiety and PTSD. As of today – the clinic’s one year anniversary – the AB+BC mental health clinicians have administered more than 5,000 advanced treatments like ketamine and transcranial magnetic stimulation to help patients who have often suffered for years without sustained relief.
“Opening a clinic in the thick of the pandemic was unsettling,” said Dr. Manlove. “However, we knew that COVID-19 would only accentuate a long-unmet need for psychiatric specialists focused on patients with conditions that evade common antidepressant medications. What many people don’t realize is that 30% of depression patients are treatment-resistant. These patients often don’t get the attention and resources they need. That’s what we are working to fix.”
Ketamine Enters Next Phase
Dr. Johns believes that ketamine, one of the clinic’s primary treatments, has entered a new ‘accessible’ phase. This is driven by ketamine’s availability in multiple treatment forms, FDA approval of esketamine (Spravato), a nasal spray, and increasing coverage of ketamine treatments by insurance companies.
“After ketamine became available in some outpatient clinics, we have been going through a phase of rapid expansion, with the number of anesthesiologist-run pain clinics promoting ketamine for mental health treatment on a cash basis,” said Dr. Johns. “This certainly increased awareness of ketamine, but it is unattainable for many people who are unable to pay $500 up front per treatment in perpetuity. Unfortunately, many boutique ketamine clinics also don’t consider comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of patients and their mental health conditions, such as evaluating hormone levels, genetic testing or other essential lab work. Some insurance companies have responded positively in working with us to help patients end years of suffering.”
Dr. Johns was an early adopter of ketamine therapy, and conducted a 2012 study at the Minnesota VA Hospital. That research was the first to demonstrate increasing benefit with multiple infusions which were added to a patient’s medication regimen in the outpatient setting. Johns then led the development of Minnesota’s first outpatient ketamine clinic at North Memorial Hospital.
AB+BC is an interventional psychiatry clinic in Minneapolis-St. Paul specializing in TMS, ketamine and esketamine (Spravato) treatments. Our two founding psychiatrists are board-certified MDs with many years’ experience in practicing psychiatric medicine combined with holistic brain health best practices. AB+BC is the only clinic to offer all four routes of ketamine administration prescribed by mental health doctors through insurance providers.
Advanced Brain + Body Clinic Ketamine TMS is located at 701 Decatur Ave N Unit 109, Golden Valley, MN 55427. Now accepting new patients: 612-682-4912.
See our list of accepted insurance networks here.
Advanced Brain + Body Clinic Ketamine TMS is a holistic treatment-resistant depression clinic in Minneapolis-St. Paul specializing in TMS, ketamine and esketamine (Spravato) treatments. Our two founding psychiatrists are board-certified MDs and many years’ experience in practicing psychiatric medicine combined with holistic brain health best practices. AB+BC is the only clinic to offer all four routes of ketamine administration prescribed by mental health doctors.
