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https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5...
Article . 2025 . Peer-reviewed
Data sources: Crossref
ZENODO
Preprint . 2025
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
ZENODO
Preprint . 2025
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
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Who Can Get Ketamine Therapy under Medicare? A Route-Specific Analysis of Coverage Across Original Medicare, MACs, and Medicare Advantage (September 2025)

Authors: Alvear, Michael;

Who Can Get Ketamine Therapy under Medicare? A Route-Specific Analysis of Coverage Across Original Medicare, MACs, and Medicare Advantage (September 2025)

Abstract

We analyzed written coverage positions for esketamine (Spravato) and other ketamine routes (IV, IM, oral) across Original Medicare (national program), all regional Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs), and Medicare Advantage (MA) parent groups, enrollment-weighted to August 2025 (30,786,085 MA lives). As verified August 31, 2025, Original Medicare and every MAC publish no affirmative coverage policy (“Not Stated”) despite existing HCPCS G-codes for Spravato visits (G2082, G2083). In MA, ~36.5% of enrollment (≈11.3M) is in plans that explicitly cover Spravato (~33.5% with prior authorization; ~3.1% without), while ~63.5% (≈19.5M) is “Not Stated.” For non-Spravato routes, “Not Stated” predominates with notable explicit exclusions (especially IV). Implications for Medicare beneficiaries: policy silence in Original Medicare and MACs pushes claims into case-by-case review, making access contingent on documentation, local reviewer discretion, and persistence—slowing or blocking a fast-acting therapy for treatment-resistant depression. Implications for Medicare Advantage enrollees: only about one in three has a posted pathway (usually with prior authorization); for the majority under “Not Stated,” plans typically default to non-coverage unless an exception is won. In practice, “Not Stated” functions as a barrier to transparency, increasing delays, denials, and abandonment risk. Conclusion: coverage clarity—not merely the existence of billing codes—governs real-world access; eliminating “Not Stated” and standardizing prior-authorization criteria would materially reduce inequities and time-to-first-dose.

Keywords

ketamine treatment, esketamine, Depression, Health Policy, Insurance Benefits, Spravato, Ketamine, ketamine therapy, Insurance, Psychiatric, Medicare, Insurance Coverage

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
Average
Average
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