Guides to Spravato, ketamine therapy and TMS
Guides to Spravato, ketamine therapy and TMS: what to expect, how prior authorization works, side effects, and maintenance schedules. Each guide lists its sources and the date it was last checked.
Key facts
- Guides listed: 15
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Guides listed | 15 |
Last checked
Treatment guides
- At-home ketamine vs in-clinic treatment
How telehealth ketamine programs work, how they compare with infusions and Spravato on evidence, safety, cost and coverage, and questions to ask.
Last checked Sep 1, 2026
- Driving and monitoring rules for Spravato and ketamine
What the REMS requires, why you cannot drive after treatment, how long observation lasts, and what to arrange before each visit.
Last checked Sep 1, 2026
- How do I get Spravato approved by my insurance?
Your clinic submits the prior authorization. It includes your depression diagnosis, two adequate antidepressant trials in this episode with doses and dates, proof you take an oral antidepressant now, a baseline PHQ-9, MADRS or HAM-D score, and confirmation the clinic is REMS certified. Commercial plans usually decide in 3 to 10 business days.
Last checked Sep 1, 2026
- Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy explained
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) treats the ketamine session as an opening for therapeutic work rather than a purely biological intervention. A therapist prepares you before, sits with you during a low to moderate dose (usually a sublingual lozenge or an intramuscular injection), and holds integration sessions in the days after.
Last checked Sep 1, 2026
- Ketamine therapy: the complete guide
How IV, IM and oral ketamine are used for depression, who it helps, what a series looks like, why insurance rarely pays, and what it costs.
Last checked Sep 1, 2026
- Maintenance for Spravato, ketamine and TMS
How often Spravato, ketamine and TMS are continued after the initial course, what insurers reauthorize, and how tapering works.
Last checked Sep 1, 2026
- Medicaid coverage for Spravato, ketamine and TMS: state by state overview
How state Medicaid programs and managed care plans decide on Spravato and TMS, why ketamine infusions are excluded, and how to read your state's page.
Last checked Sep 1, 2026
- Does Medicare cover Spravato, and how much will I pay?
Yes. Original Medicare covers Spravato under Part B when you meet the FDA label criteria at a certified center, with no prior authorization. You pay 20 percent of the allowed amount after the Part B deductible, and most Medigap plans pay that 20 percent. Medicare Advantage plans add prior authorization and set their own copays.
Last checked Sep 1, 2026
- Questions to ask a Spravato, ketamine or TMS clinic
The questions that separate a well-run clinic from a marketing operation, organized by topic, with the answers you should expect to hear.
Last checked Sep 1, 2026
- Side effects and safety: Spravato, ketamine and TMS
The common, the uncommon and the serious side effects of each treatment, who should not have them, and what clinics monitor.
Last checked Sep 1, 2026
- Spravato: the complete guide
What Spravato is, who qualifies, what a session is like, how insurance approves it, what it costs, and what the evidence shows.
Last checked Sep 1, 2026
- TMS: the complete guide
How transcranial magnetic stimulation treats depression, who qualifies under insurance, what six weeks of daily sessions involve, and what it costs.
Last checked Sep 1, 2026
- Treatment-resistant depression: what the criteria actually mean
The definition insurers use, what counts as an adequate antidepressant trial, how to document your history, and why the details decide approval.
Last checked Sep 1, 2026
- What to expect at your first ketamine infusion
Eat lightly and stop food four hours before; sips of water are fine until arrival. Take your usual medications unless the clinic told you to hold one (benzodiazepines and lamotrigine can blunt the effect and are sometimes paused). Arrange a ride.
Last checked Sep 1, 2026
- What to expect at your first Spravato session
Timeline of the first visit hour by hour, what you feel, what the clinic monitors, and how to prepare.
Last checked Sep 1, 2026
By condition
| Title | Last checked |
|---|---|
| Ketamine therapy for anxiety What the evidence shows for ketamine in anxiety disorders, who is a candidate, what a course looks like, and why it is usually cash pay. | Sep 1, 2026 |
| Spravato for anxiety When Spravato is used for anxiety disorders, what the label and insurers allow, what to expect, and what it costs. | Sep 1, 2026 |
| TMS for anxiety Where TMS stands for anxiety disorders, FDA clearance and insurance status, what a course involves, and cost. | Sep 1, 2026 |
| Ketamine therapy for bipolar depression What the evidence shows for ketamine in bipolar depression, who is a candidate, what a course looks like, and why it is usually cash pay. | Sep 1, 2026 |
| Spravato for bipolar depression When Spravato is used for the depressive phase of bipolar disorder, what the label and insurers allow, what to expect, and what it costs. | Sep 1, 2026 |
| TMS for bipolar depression Where TMS stands for the depressive phase of bipolar disorder, FDA clearance and insurance status, what a course involves, and cost. | Sep 1, 2026 |
| Ketamine therapy for depression What the evidence shows for ketamine in major depression, who is a candidate, what a course looks like, and why it is usually cash pay. | Sep 1, 2026 |
| Spravato for depression When Spravato is used for major depression, what the criteria are, what response rates look like, and how it fits with antidepressants and therapy. | Sep 1, 2026 |
| TMS for depression Where TMS stands for major depression, FDA clearance and insurance status, what a course involves, and cost. | Sep 1, 2026 |
| Ketamine therapy for OCD What the evidence shows for ketamine in obsessive-compulsive disorder, who is a candidate, what a course looks like, and why it is usually cash pay. | Sep 1, 2026 |
| Spravato for OCD When Spravato is used for obsessive-compulsive disorder, what the label and insurers allow, what to expect, and what it costs. | Sep 1, 2026 |
| TMS for OCD Where TMS stands for obsessive-compulsive disorder, FDA clearance and insurance status, what a course involves, and cost. | Sep 1, 2026 |
| Ketamine therapy for PTSD What the evidence shows for ketamine in post-traumatic stress disorder, who is a candidate, what a course looks like, and why it is usually cash pay. | Sep 1, 2026 |
| Spravato for PTSD When Spravato is used for post-traumatic stress disorder, what the label and insurers allow, what to expect, and what it costs. | Sep 1, 2026 |
| TMS for PTSD Where TMS stands for post-traumatic stress disorder, FDA clearance and insurance status, what a course involves, and cost. | Sep 1, 2026 |
| Ketamine therapy for treatment-resistant depression What the evidence shows for ketamine in treatment-resistant depression, who is a candidate, what a course looks like, and why it is usually cash pay. | Sep 1, 2026 |
| Spravato for treatment-resistant depression When Spravato is used for treatment-resistant depression, what the label and insurers allow, what to expect, and what it costs. | Sep 1, 2026 |
| TMS for treatment-resistant depression Where TMS stands for treatment-resistant depression, FDA clearance and insurance status, what a course involves, and cost. | Sep 1, 2026 |
Comparisons
| Title | Last checked |
|---|---|
| IV ketamine vs at-home ketamine IV ketamine delivers a precise dose with a clinician watching your vitals and has the strongest evidence of any generic ketamine route. At-home sublingual ketamine is cheaper and more convenient, absorbs unpredictably, and puts a controlled substance in your home with little supervision. Insurance rarely covers IV ketamine. At-home lozenges are not covered. | Sep 1, 2026 |
| Ketamine vs esketamine: how they differ Ketamine is a racemic mixture of two mirror-image molecules, S-ketamine (esketamine) and R-ketamine. Esketamine binds the NMDA receptor more strongly, so a lower dose produces a similar effect. Spravato is esketamine formulated as a nasal spray and approved for depression; generic ketamine is the racemic mixture approved as an anesthetic and used off label. | Sep 1, 2026 |
| Spravato vs ketamine: which is right for you? Spravato is FDA approved for depression and is covered by insurance. Generic ketamine is not approved for depression, is used off label, and is almost always cash pay. Both work through the same receptor and both produce a rapid response in a similar share of patients. | Sep 1, 2026 |
| Spravato vs TMS: how to choose Both are FDA approved and insured for treatment-resistant depression. They differ in schedule, side effects, who qualifies, and what maintenance looks like. | Sep 1, 2026 |
| TMS vs ECT: what each is for TMS is an office procedure with mild side effects; ECT is a hospital procedure under anesthesia with the highest remission rates for severe depression. When each is the right tool. | Sep 1, 2026 |
Common questions
- What do the guides cover?
- Guides to Spravato, ketamine therapy and TMS: what to expect, how prior authorization works, side effects, maintenance schedules, Medicare and Medicaid rules, and how to compare treatments.
- Who checks the guides?
- The Covered Mind editorial team checks each guide against its cited sources. Each guide shows the date of the last check. Clinician review is planned.