At-Home Ketamine Therapy Covered by Medicaid & Commercial Insurance

-by Gabriel Strauss, Head of Product for Noma

At Noma our mission is to enable everyone to access transformative care for difficult to treat depression, anxiety, and PTSD regardless of their financial situation.  

Millions of people suffer from difficult to treat mental health conditions, and traditional treatments can be slow and complicated.  Recently, ketamine has shown great potential in helping these individuals, especially when paired with talk therapy and medication optimization. 

Sadly, only the wealthy have had access to these integrated treatments, while many who need it the most are left behind.  While some ketamine centers accept commercial insurance or Medicaid, they require patients to travel long distances to receive in-person treatment, and they generally do not offer the combination of ketamine, talk therapy, and medication optimization that is necessary for long-term results.

To that end, Noma is excited to announce that we now accept Medicaid and major commercial insurance plans for our virtual 14-week ketamine-assisted psychotherapy program, with minimal out of pocket expense.  This is the first time that an at-home, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy program has been majority-covered by Medicaid and commercial insurance, and it is only possible because of Noma’s integrated, therapy-first approach.

Noma’s program has three parts that work together:

Ketamine-therapy

We use a generic form of FDA-approved ketamine that is taken orally in the form of a rapidly dissolving tablet.  Ketamine can induce profound changes in perception, mood and cognition and may also help people access and reframe traumatic memories, break out of rigid patterns of thinking and behavior, and reconnect with themselves, others and nature.

Medication optimization

At Noma, we recognize that depression, anxiety, and PTSD are multifaceted disorders that often require a multi-pronged approach including psychedelics like ketamine (where appropriate), psychiatric medication optimization, and psychotherapy.  

Talk therapy

In addition to ketamine treatments and medication optimization, we believe in the power of psychotherapy. Psychotherapy, particularly cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness based cognitive therapy (MBCT), works by helping patients to identify and change negative thought patterns and behaviors that can contribute to their condition.

Combining a medication like ketamine with psychotherapy can have a synergistic effect. While ketamine may rapidly improve symptoms and restore function in the brain, psychotherapy helps reinforce these changes and provides you with strategies to maintain these improvements in the long term.

Our talk therapy and medication management are fully covered by Medicaid and commercial insurance.  The ketamine portion may not be covered by all plans. However, in line with our goal to make our program accessible to all, we charge a maximum of just $90 per dose (a total of $360 for the full program).

Our program is far less expensive than cash-pay ketamine therapy options, and unlike ketamine infusion centers, which are often covered by Medicaid or commercial insurance, the Noma program is delivered in the comfort of your own home, and is integrated with rigorous therapy and medication optimization, designed for long lasting results.

Noma currently accepts the following insurance plans

Health First Colorado (Colorado’s Medicaid Plan), including:

• Colorado Access (Denver county)

• Colorado Community Health Alliance (Boulder, Gilpin, Clear Creek, Jefferson, and Broomfield counties)

• Rocky Mountain Health Plans (Archuleta, Delta, Dolores, Eagle, Garfield, Grand, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Jackson, La Plata, Larimer, Mesa, Moffat, Montezuma, Montrose, Ouray, Pitkin, Rio Blanco, Routt, San Juan, San Miguel, and Summit counties)

• Northeast Health Partners ( Cheyenne, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington, Weld, and Yuma counties)

• Health Colorado (Alamosa, Baca, Bent, Chaffee, Conejos, Costilla, Crowley, Custer, Fremont, Huerfano, Kiowa, Lake, Las Animas, Mineral, Otero, Prowers, Pueblo, Rio Grande, and Saguache counties)

Major commercial insurance plans, including:

• Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Colorado

• UnitedHealthcare and Optum

• Cigna

• Aetna

We are in the process of contracting with Medicare and expect to take medicare and dual eligible (Medicare and Medicaid) patients soon.

Ready to find out more? Book a free consult.