Infusions cover depression, PTSD and Chronic Pain including CRPS
A Special Thank You to Shara Wilkey (Capt., USMC, Ret.)
By James Doulgeris, Chairman, RSDSA Advisory Committee
The Veterans Health Administration, Military News and independent contracted clinics have confirmed that the VHA has approved and will pay for ketamine infusions, including travel expenses in certain circumstances, to treat treatment resistant depression, PTSD and chronic pain including CRPS. Your physician’s approval is required, of course.
While this program has been in effect for some time, it has not been made well known. In fact, we had no idea it existed until Shara Wilkey (Capt., USMC, Ret.) brought it to our attention.
Finding an infusion center near you may be as simple as an Internet search (be sure to use a search engine using an advanced AI engine like Google or Microsoft). You may, however, need to contact the one nearest you, and that may require air travel. The VA does pay for travel expenses; however, it may require the assistance of your U.S. House Representativ’s or Senator’s Office to cut through the red tape according to Capt. Wilkey.
It’s worth mentioning that having a companion accompany you during the infusion is mandatory. However, information regarding whether the expenses related to the companion are covered remains unclear, as we couldn’t find concrete details. The VA did not have this information readily available when contacted, and they are yet to respond to our inquiry. We will keep this report updated if any further information becomes available.
As always, we express our gratitude for your service and want to emphasize that we are here to assist. You can reach out to us at [email protected] for any inquiries or assistance you may need.