Cost is one of the first questions patients ask when they begin researching ketamine therapy in Florida — and it is one of the least transparently answered. Pricing varies widely across clinics, and the variation is not arbitrary: it reflects meaningful differences in who is administering treatment, what level of medical oversight is present, and what the patient actually receives during each session. At Ketamine Wellness Institute Jacksonville, we think patients deserve a plain, detailed answer to the cost question before they ever make a commitment.
What Ketamine Treatment Costs at Our Clinic
Our pricing is straightforward. The initial mental health infusion series — which consists of six IV ketamine infusions — is $3,000 total, billed at $500 per infusion. This is the standard starting course for patients beginning ketamine therapy for depression, anxiety, PTSD, OCD, bipolar disorder, suicidal ideation, substance abuse, or restless legs syndrome. Before any of that begins, every patient completes a complimentary consultation by phone or videoconference with our board-certified anesthesiologist, at no cost.
After completing an initial series, most patients continue with periodic maintenance infusions to sustain their response. Maintenance infusions are $500 per session. The frequency varies by individual — most patients find that scheduling maintenance every four to eight weeks keeps their response stable — but there is no fixed commitment. Patients discuss their ongoing needs with our physician based on how they responded to the initial series.
What $500 Per Infusion Includes
The number means more in context. Every infusion at our clinic is administered intravenously by a board-certified anesthesiologist with specialized training in IV drug delivery, airway management, and the pharmacology of ketamine. This is the standard against which the safety and quality of ketamine infusion therapy should be measured. To understand more about how this treatment works, see our overview of about ketamine.
Each infusion session runs approximately 60 minutes, with full appointments lasting about 90 minutes to allow for preparation and recovery on either side. Before the infusion begins, a nurse takes your vital signs and places a thin IV line. During the infusion, our physician monitors blood pressure, pulse, and oxygen saturation continuously using non-invasive equipment. The dose is weight-based — typically 0.5 to 0.8 mg/kg over 60 minutes — and is adjusted based on individual response. If nausea is a concern, anti-nausea medication can be added to the IV.
Sessions take place in private treatment rooms with massaging recliners and dimmable lighting. Patients are welcome to bring a family member or friend to stay with them during the infusion. After the infusion ends, patients recover in the room until they are ready for discharge — a process that typically takes about 30 minutes, after which most patients feel close to their normal baseline, though driving is not permitted for 24 hours following treatment. Learn more about what to expect during a session on our infusion experience page.
What patients are paying for, in short, is not a room and a drip bag. It is a physician-supervised clinical procedure with individualized dosing, continuous monitoring, and the kind of direct oversight that distinguishes a medical treatment from a wellness service.
What the Research Supports About IV Ketamine
The pricing question is inseparable from the evidence question — patients want to know whether the investment is clinically justified. Peer-reviewed research has demonstrated that ketamine produces rapid and significant antidepressant effects in patients who have not responded to multiple prior treatments. For patients with treatment-resistant conditions, this is not a marginal benefit: it represents access to a mechanistically distinct treatment that operates through the glutamate system rather than the serotonin pathways targeted by conventional medications.
Research also demonstrates that both initial series and maintenance infusions produce meaningful clinical benefit — the initial series establishes a therapeutic response, and maintenance infusions extend it. For a patient who has spent years and substantial money on treatments that have not worked, the calculus of investing in something that operates through a different mechanism and has demonstrated rapid effects in comparable populations is worth considering carefully. Our post on a new era for depression treatment explores this shift in more detail.
The National Institute of Mental Health has highlighted ketamine as a rapid-acting treatment for patients who have not responded to standard care, noting its potential to produce results where conventional treatments have fallen short. Results vary by individual, and we cannot predict outcomes for any specific patient. What we can say is that the evidence base supporting IV ketamine for treatment-resistant conditions is substantial and continues to grow.
Insurance and What to Do If You Have Coverage
Insurance coverage for IV ketamine infusion therapy is not standardized and varies significantly by plan. We recommend that patients contact their insurer before beginning treatment to ask about out-of-network mental health benefits. Some plans cover a portion of the cost for off-label treatments; others do not. The honest answer is that we cannot tell you what your plan covers — your insurer can.
We do not want cost uncertainty to prevent a patient from having the initial conversation. The consultation is complimentary, involves no commitment, and gives both the patient and our physician the information needed to decide whether moving forward makes clinical and practical sense. A patient who completes a consultation and determines that the cost is prohibitive has lost nothing — and has gained a clearer picture of their options.
Addressing the Comparison Question
Patients researching ketamine treatment in Florida will encounter a range of price points. Some clinics charge more than we do; some charge less. We cannot speak to the specifics of what other clinics include in their pricing, but we can be clear about what ours includes: a board-certified anesthesiologist supervising every infusion, weight-based individualized dosing, continuous vital sign monitoring, a private treatment room, and a complimentary consultation with a physician before any treatment begins.
The relevant comparison is not just price — it is price relative to what is actually being provided. A lower-cost option that does not include direct physician supervision during the infusion is a different clinical product. Patients making this decision deserve to understand that distinction before they choose based on cost alone.
Scheduling Around Your Life
The cost of treatment includes more than the price per infusion — it includes the time required, and we designed our schedule to minimize that burden. We are open Monday through Thursday by appointment, Friday from 1 to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to noon. Weekend availability is a deliberate choice: a six-infusion series over two to three weeks requires multiple appointments, and patients with work or caregiving responsibilities should not have to choose between maintaining employment and completing treatment.
The initial consultation is by phone or video and requires no time off or travel. For patients coming from other parts of Northeast Florida or beyond, the full treatment series fits into a structured two-to-three-week window that most patients find manageable to plan around.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does insurance ever cover IV ketamine therapy? Coverage varies significantly by plan and is not standardized across insurers. Some patients receive partial reimbursement through out-of-network mental health benefits; others receive none. We recommend contacting your insurer directly before beginning treatment to ask about your specific coverage for off-label IV infusion therapy for mental health conditions.
Is SPRAVATO® covered differently than IV ketamine? Yes. SPRAVATO® is FDA-approved for treatment-resistant depression and is administered in certified healthcare settings under an insurance-eligible protocol. IV ketamine is an off-label treatment and is generally not covered by insurance in the same way. We do not offer SPRAVATO® at our clinic — we offer IV ketamine infusion therapy. If you are interested in exploring SPRAVATO® as an option, discuss it with your prescribing provider.
What if I can only afford part of the series? The initial series is designed as a six-infusion course, and completing it gives our physician and the patient the most complete picture of response. We recommend discussing financial concerns openly during the consultation so we can give you accurate information about options. We do not want cost to prevent a useful conversation from happening.
How does pricing compare to the long-term cost of untreated or undertreated illness? This is a question patients often ask implicitly rather than directly. We won’t frame it as a simple equation, because individual circumstances vary too much. What we can say is that patients who have been cycling through ineffective treatments for years have already invested substantially in care that hasn’t worked. IV ketamine represents a different mechanism with an established evidence base in treatment-resistant populations — that distinction is part of what the pricing reflects.
Can I do a single infusion first to see how I respond? Our standard recommendation is the six-infusion series rather than a single session, because the therapeutic response to IV ketamine is typically built and consolidated across multiple infusions rather than established in one. That said, the consultation is the right place to discuss your specific situation and concerns, and our physician will give you an honest answer about what the research and clinical experience support.
Key Takeaways
- At Ketamine Wellness Institute Jacksonville, the initial mental health infusion series costs $3,000 for six infusions at $500 per infusion; maintenance infusions are $500 each; the initial consultation is complimentary.
- Every infusion is administered by a board-certified anesthesiologist with individualized weight-based dosing, continuous vital sign monitoring, and direct physician supervision throughout.
- Research supports both initial series and maintenance infusions as clinically meaningful for treatment-resistant patients, with the National Institute of Mental Health recognizing ketamine as a rapid-acting option for patients who haven’t responded to standard care.
- Insurance coverage for IV ketamine varies by plan — contacting your insurer directly about out-of-network mental health benefits is the recommended first step.
- Results vary by individual — the complimentary consultation is designed to give patients and our physician the information needed to make a well-informed decision before any financial commitment is made.
Cost transparency is part of the care we provide. Patients who are weighing whether IV ketamine infusion therapy makes sense for their situation deserve a clear answer about what they are paying for and why it is priced the way it is. We offer that conversation at no cost, with no commitment required. Call us at (904) 747-8998 or schedule a complimentary consultation today.
References
National Institutes of Health. https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/side-effects-mild-brief-single-antidepressant-dose-intravenous-ketamine
National Library of Medicine. https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.2018.18070834
National Library of Medicine. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-021-01327-5
Medical Disclaimer
The information in this blog is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. IV ketamine infusion therapy should only be pursued under the supervision of a licensed medical provider familiar with your complete medical and psychiatric history. Individual results vary. Not all patients are appropriate candidates for ketamine infusion therapy, and a thorough screening process is required prior to treatment. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis or thoughts of self-harm, please call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or go to your nearest emergency room.