Originally Posted by SandyRI

Getson costs $1250 - $1500 per day, depending on the meds that you need in your IV, he does not accept any insurance except WC. So far my WC insurance company (the Hartford) would rather pay lawyers to create roadblocks for me in RI WC court than focus on possibly getting me better (while paying substantial amounts for me on a monthly basis for my meds, temp disability, and the bills I run up when go to see my PM docs).

I put together a spreadsheet comparing the amount that it would cost for ketamine infusions vs. what is being expended now. If the ketamine works (which Getson believes it will, because I have had positive responses to other meds that work on the NMDA receptors), and I can get back to work, part time for 2 months and then full time for the rest of the year, over $35,000 would be saved in expenses in 2010 alone!!! And that's a conservative number - I assumed that I might need monthly boosters of ketamine, some monthly medication expenses, and even that I would be a part time worker for a few months (with the Hartford picking up the balance of my pay) before resuming full time status.

The daily cost of a ketamine infusion with Dr. Getson in NJ is less than what the Hartford currently remits to my PM in Boston for a stellate ganglion block or a lidocaine infusion, both of which are done in the hospital.

I cannot fathom why the insurance companies don't do the math. If ketamine infusions have the highest rates of success out of all the available treatments for RSD, and we can get off all the expensive meds and stop trying other procedures that are equally costly but NOT as effective, why are they denying the expense?

I have been in touch with United Health, and I am still waiting to hear what their reimbursement $$ is going to be. We will need to pay Getson first, and then submit our bills to United for reimb. That's not a great situation, but I need to get better and go back to work, and WC clearly doesn't care if that ever happens so I need to make it happen myself.

I am just so sorry that I waited until my court hearing (a week and a half ago) to decide to pay privately for the ketamine, I could have gotten on Getson's list sooner. I really thought I had a chance of getting a favorable ruling. But the judge didn't rule in my favor, instead she asked for reams of info on Getson (he's from out state and is only a "DO"), requested a review by a RI doctor of my files, and scheduled another hearing in a month. Who knows what will happen then?

Good luck to you, Sandy