Treating serious mental illness merely for altruistic reasons is not a good thing. It may also improve health outcomes and reduce costs for people with coexisting physical conditions. Vincent Joralemon writes Health matters at the forefront Regarding this issue. The article quotes Anthea CEO Sherry Rais:
Ten percent of patients drive approximately 70 percent of health care costs, and more than half have a poor mental health condition. “Mental health is not just one problem — it is multifaceted,” explained Rais. “The medical costs of people with untreated or poorly treated mental health conditions are approximately three to six times higher than those of those who are not treated.”
One possible solution to some mental illnesses is the use of psychedelics. However, psychedelics are often expensive, even though the drugs themselves are relatively inexpensive. Why?
“One of the reasons psychedelic therapy is expensive is that it’s not a pill, it’s a bundle of services,” explained Marsile. “It’s not like filling a prescription for an SSRI. Even though the drugs themselves are very inexpensive, delivery can be expensive.”
What’s included in this ‘bundle’? Consider the case of MDMA:
Marseille’s own research based on Phase 3 trial data estimated MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD at approximately $12,000 per course; This involved three preparation sessions, three eight-hour dosing sessions in the presence of two physicians, and then nine integration sessions, totaling approximately 42 hours of physician time. Recent industry-sponsored models have an estimated cost of around $48,000.
Because treatment involves both medication and significant medical monitoring, the cost can be prohibitive. Will payers step up to cover the use of psychedelics where they have been shown to be safe and effective? Only time will tell how new psychedelic molecules will enter the market.
