Veterans in Columbia, Howard County, and the Baltimore area can get Spravato (and IV ketamine where their VA Medical Center authorizes it) covered through VA community care, delivered at Avesta’s Columbia clinic.
The VA covers Spravato and IV ketamine for treatment-resistant depression and depression with severe suicidal ideation. It authorizes outside clinics, called community care providers, to deliver them. Avesta is one of those providers, with a clinic in Columbia.
For an eligible veteran referred through community care, there is no out-of-pocket cost. The VA pays. Your care coordinator handles the authorization and our team handles the paperwork before your first visit.
Getting Started
What is VA Community Care?
VA Community Care is how the VA pays for treatments When the VA cannot deliver a covered treatment at its own facility, it authorizes a credentialed outside clinic to deliver it and pays that clinic directly.
Spravato and IV ketamine can fall into this category. Avesta is an authorized VA community care provider, so an eligible veteran can receive these treatments at an Avesta clinic with the VA covering the cost.
- You get the treatment at an Avesta clinic, not at the VA.
- The VA pays Avesta directly. There is no out-of-pocket cost to you when the referral is authorized.
- Your VA care coordinator starts the authorization. Our team manages the rest.
- Average prior authorization turnaround is 3 to 5 business days.
You stay a VA patient the whole time. Community care simply lets you receive a treatment the VA covers but does not offer onsite.
For Veterans Seeking Care
STEP 1: Confirm you are a candidate
Talk to your VA provider about ketamine or Spravato for your condition, or call Avesta first and we will tell you whether it is worth raising. You are only eligible for a referral if you are currently being treated at a VA facility. If you are not yet established with the VA, you will need to establish care first. The VA’s national protocol guidance for IV ketamine is here.
STEP 2: Request an authorized referral
Avesta operates under a Veterans Care Agreement with the VA. Spravato is covered through VA community care at every Avesta location. IV ketamine is approved at the national VA level, but each VA Medical Center decides whether to authorize it, so approval varies. If you receive care through the VA Maryland Health Care System (Baltimore VAMC), call us and we will help you check what your facility approves before you start. Ask your provider to search the Provider Profile Management System or VA Provider Locator Tool for Group NPI #1467165571 or provider name Avesta Mental Health, and submit a referral to the Community Care Department for Spravato or IV Ketamine. Find this clinic on the VA provider locator here.
STEP 3: Book your session
We get the notification from the VA as soon as your referral is authorized. We call you within two business days to confirm the plan and schedule your first session.
Note: An authorized community care referral normally covers 100% of treatment costs for eligible veterans. Spravato is covered at all locations; IV ketamine approval is decided by your individual VA Medical Center.
VA-covered conditions:
- Treatment-resistant depression
- Depression with severe suicidal ideation
VA coverage for ketamine and Spravato applies to these two conditions. Many veterans with PTSD also live with treatment-resistant depression, which qualifies. If your condition is not VA-covered, see More Ketamine Coverage Options for self-pay and grant funding.
For VA Providers Seeking to Refer Patients
STEP 1: Assess your patient’s suitability
Veterans with treatment-resistant depression or depression with severe suicidal ideation are candidates for VA-covered ketamine and Spravato. Ketamine may also help PTSD and chronic pain, though the VA does not currently cover ketamine for those indications on their own. Not everyone is a candidate. Call our team anytime to discuss a patient’s case and determine eligibility.
STEP 2: Issue an authorized referral
Avesta is in-network with the VA through the Veterans Care Agreement, so you can refer patients for Spravato or IV ketamine at our Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. clinics. Search the Provider Profile Management System or VA Provider Locator Tool for Group NPI #1467165571 or provider name Avesta Mental Health, and submit a referral to the Community Care Department. Our infusion protocols follow the 2018 multi-society consensus guidelines on intravenous ketamine infusion (ASRA, AAPM, and ASA), and average prior authorization turnaround is 3 to 5 business days.
STEP 3: Collaborate with Avesta
The VA notifies us as soon as the referral is processed. Our team engages your patient and ensures safe, effective care. We may contact you to discuss medical history and will gladly update you on their progress should the patient authorize this collaboration.
On TRICARE or Active-Duty? Here Is How Coverage Works.
TRICARE covers Spravato for treatment-resistant depression. Avesta is not currently in network with TRICARE, so there are two paths:
- Route through VA community care. If you are eligible for VA care, ask your VA provider to authorize Spravato or IV ketamine at Avesta through community care. This is the no-cost path.
- Self-pay at Avesta. If you are not going through the VA, you can pay out of pocket at any of our clinics. Ask us about IV ketamine financing through Advance Care.
Not sure which applies to you? Call us and we will walk through your options.
Ketamine Therapy Can Help Veterans Who Struggle With:
These are conditions ketamine therapy may help veterans manage. VA coverage applies specifically to treatment-resistant depression and depression with severe suicidal ideation; for PTSD or chronic pain on their own, see the coverage options below.
- PTSD, including hypervigilance, intrusive memories, and emotional numbing.
- Treatment-resistant depression: persistent sadness and hopelessness that has not lifted with two or more antidepressants.
- Suicidal ideation: recurrent thoughts of death or suicide.
- Combat-related and chronic pain that has not responded to standard care.
Veterans We Serve Near Columbia, MD
Veterans in the following Columbia, MD areas can request an authorized VA community care referral for covered ketamine therapy at this clinic:
- Columbia, MD
- Ellicott City, MD
- Laurel, MD
- Howard County, MD
- Baltimore, MD
- Elkridge, MD
More Ketamine Coverage Options: Veterans and First Responders
Veterans and first responders in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. without VA coverage can still receive affordable ketamine therapy at Avesta.
Sliding-scale ketamine through Avesta’s TenTen Life partnership
TenTen Life is a non-profit organization that provides specialized counseling and coaching services to veterans and first responders. You can apply to TenTen Life for ketamine treatment funding at Avesta. Get started.
Ketamine therapy for Special Ops veterans through Task Force Dagger
The Task Force Dagger Special Operations Foundation provides assistance to wounded, ill, or injured U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) members and their families. Mention “Task Force Dagger” when you contact Avesta to learn more.
Avesta’s Veterans Discount Program
Veterans nationwide who are not eligible for free ketamine through the VA can receive discounted ketamine therapy at any Avesta clinic in D.C., Maryland, or Virginia. Contact Avesta for discount details.
FAQ
Can veterans near Columbia, MD get ketamine covered by the VA?
Spravato, yes, for treatment-resistant depression and depression with severe suicidal ideation. Veterans served by the VA Maryland Health Care System (Baltimore VAMC) can get Spravato covered through VA community care at Avesta. IV ketamine is approved nationally by the VA for those same conditions, but each VA Medical Center decides whether to authorize it, so approval varies. Call us and we will help you confirm what your facility covers before you start.
Does ketamine actually work for veterans?
The evidence is strong. In a landmark randomized controlled trial, 71% of patients with treatment-resistant depression responded to a single ketamine infusion (Zarate et al, Archives of General Psychiatry, 2006). Across mood disorders, Avesta’s own clinic data shows a 68 to 70% response rate. Avesta’s infusion protocols follow the 2018 multi-society consensus guidelines on intravenous ketamine infusion (ASRA, AAPM, and ASA), which our medical director, Dr. Ladan Eshkevari, helped develop during her 25 years on the faculty at Georgetown.
What if I am not eligible for free ketamine through the VA?
If your condition is not one the VA covers for ketamine (for example PTSD or chronic pain on their own), or your VA Medical Center does not authorize IV ketamine, you still have options. Veterans and first responders can apply for funding through TenTen Life, Special Ops veterans can use Task Force Dagger, and any veteran can use Avesta’s nationwide Veterans Discount Program. See More Ketamine Coverage Options above.
Where is the Columbia, MD clinic?
See our Columbia, MD clinic page for the address, hours, and directions.
Start Here
If you are a veteran near Columbia, MD, one phone call tells you whether you qualify and what happens next. No cost to find out.
