Written by Lisa Van Allen, Chair of the RSDSA Advocacy Committee, for the RSDSA blog.
Ketamine infusions have been proven effective in the treatment of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and chronic pain (including intractable pain like CRPS). The Veterans Health Administration has been covering the cost of ketamine infusions AND travel expenses to and from infusion centers for veterans for some time. Here are a few tips to ensure your treatments are covered if you qualify for veteran’s’ benefits.
The VHA will be looking for answers to:
- Why you need ketamine infusions
- Why you want to use this particular provider
- What the provider will do to ensure a safe and successful experience with ketamine.
First, you will want to have a letter from your medical provider describing your disability rating. This should include what types of treatments have been used in your care and the limited success they have offered. It is not essential to have this provider’s support for ketamine infusions, but it would certainly help.
Make a case for the use of the outpatient clinic you wish to use by documenting the lack of availability of ketamine infusion in the inpatient facilities in your area, if this is the case. You will want to get a description of the protocol used by the anesthesiologist at the outpatient ketamine clinic. Share the provider’s credentials and his/her experience using ketamine to successfully to treat your condition. Include what medications are utilized in the infusion, the length of time of the infusion, and what safeguards are used to protect you and ensure your comfort (monitoring equipment, staff ratio to patient, etc.).
If you are seeking travel expenses, you will need to document the number of miles from your home to the infusion center. Some infusion centers require you have a companion sit with you during the infusion. It is unlikely the VHA will cover expenses for your companion – but it never hurts to ask!
There is an excellent article from the VHA that you might want to reference in your request on the efficacy of ketamine infusion for treatment resistant depression associated with PTSD.