Stem cell therapy (SCT) is becoming increasingly accessible to individuals looking to boost their body's natural healing capabilities in certain problem spots, like areas around joints and soft tissues.
While the process does primarily involve the injections, there are other aspects of the procedure that could affect the price tag associated with treatment. Here’s what you need to know about stem cell injection cost.
What About Insurance Coverage?
Insurance does not typically cover stem cell treatment in most cases. Even so, it never hurts to check with your health insurance company or review your plan’s details. You could make an attempt to present compelling reasons why stem cell injection cost could be justified by cutting down on other medical expenses. For instance, SCT performed to treat a stubborn tendon injury could reduce your need for a lengthy and costly physical therapy and rehab period.
What Is the General Price Range for Stem Cell Therapy?
It’s not possible to get specific with stem cell injection cost figures because of the many variables that can affect your total cost and the cost of each injection. For some individuals, for example, a single injection could be in the lower thousands range – meaning lower four figures. However, this cost would go up if you have two or three areas that need to be injected with stem cells harvested from your own fat (adipose) tissue or bone marrow. As for the variables that tend to affect SCT cost, the main ones include:
- The area that’s being treated
- The nature of your injury or underlying condition
- The number of injections you’ll likely need based on the results of your initial evaluation
- Your overall health
What Other Costs Are Associated with Stem Cell Injections?
If your insurance provider does agree to cover the actual stem cell injection cost, there are other expenses associated with the procedure that may or may not be covered. The fat grafts needed to collect the adult stem cells needed for the injection, for instance, are often not covered. Even so, you may be able to make a case for having this part of the procedure covered with some assistance from the physician doing the injections or the staff members who handle billing and insurance documentation.
The diagnostic tests often needed to determine if you are a good candidate for stem cell therapy might be covered. This is more likely to happen if the physician ordering the tests can present evidence that such testing is necessary to make a determination of your available treatment options.
Stem cell therapy is typically an outpatient procedure. Therefore, you probably won’t have to worry about hospitalization costs. However, possible costs that may be associated with stem cell therapy not already mentioned could involve:
- The local anesthetic that’s administered at the injection site
- The initial examination
- Post-injection care – e.g., physical therapy, follow-up visits to evaluate the results of the initial treatment, and the use of any assistance devices that may be needed as the treated area heals
Ultimately, stem cell injection cost can vary based on the factors discussed above. However, if you have concerns about cost, a stem cell clinic or physician providing SCT treatments may be able to tell you more about available financing options that could make stem cell therapy affordable for you.