It's difficult but they do. I just paid $2500 out of pocket for my 5 day out patient treatment as the rate has gone up to $500 per day. For my in patient treatment, my insurance (Aetna) fully covered my hospital stay and everything done in there but would not cover the Dr's fee since he was adminstering ketamine tho I need to look into this further and perhaps fight it.

Their policy is that if it's being done continuisly through IV and inpatient, they will cover it but will not cover it out patient or for intermittent use as they still feel it is experimental for RSD.

While they quoted numerous Dr's research showing positive results, their issue supposedly with it is that they do not know the long term effects of regular ketamine use on people with RSD.

My Dr said the other day that worse case, it's another 5-10 yrs before they approve, easy for him to say. I have 3 teenagers to get through college and my health bills are eating through all I have yet it's saving my life.

I have been having ketamine infusions for 4 years now I started with the 10 day out patient, the seventh day my pain got worse due to the ketamine dosage to high for my body to handle, so this held us another week back. Then we started again but this time we stayed at the amount I had on the 6th day and didnt increase.
Most of the times for the 10 day out patient with this doctor he will go 10 day out then one day every week for a month, then one day every other week for a month and then once a month. For me though my body couldnt go longer then the week so for 2 years I stayed on once every week then a year once every other week. I am now on once a month along with ketamine nasal spray and ketamine losanges(not sure if thats the right spelling)

The ketamine has helped me alot before I started the ketamine I was in the hospital every 3 weeks and could be in there sometimes for 2 weeks. I also started with needing to use crutches or a wheel chair and I am now walking, I walk slow but its so much better then the crutches I was on(I always had to watch for tripping).
The infusions I get helps settle down my body, then the nasal sprays help with everyday burning pain(it numbs the nerves down), and the ketamine losanges I take just when I need a little more, but it really doesnt help as much as the infusions and nasal sprays do.
When I do go into flares which is about every 6-8 weeks and I end up hospitalized I am put on a constant ketamine drip which really helps to get me out faster. I have also had several surgeries in which they used ketamine before, during, and after it and it help control flares and to keep me from getting worse. I really dont know how I would be living without it and wish I had done it sooner.

Blue Cross tried to deny us our inpatient the second time. It took a two hour phone call and a call from my doc but it too was paid in full. I really think you need to appeal and maybe contact the insurance commission in your state. We also have gone in as an admit direct from the ER. Then they could not refuse service. I know there is a patient in Fla (I think at Joe Dimmagio??) that did the same thing.
We have not been to Dr S. Our inpatient is done in DC and inpatient was done in NYC. The only doctor that I know that does not take insurance is Dr Kirkpatrick in Tampa.
RSDSA.org has a list of ketamine doctors. The list grows every week!