Can I afford “Cell Therapy”?
Let’s just admit that ORTHOBIOLOGICS can be expensive. Not everyone can afford cell therapy treatments –right now.
That said, the potential of this approach is so great that insurance will one day be forced to cover these treatments for many conditions. But that will not be soon. Insurance companies traditionally ride on the coattails of Medicare and we live in a country with a huge national debt, lots of committed spending, and no extra money for things like this. Medicare will not be covering stem cell treatments anytime in the near future.
But… can you afford Cell Therapy?
Let me make one thing very clear. I believe in this new science.
I believe Regenerative Medicine is the most incredible breakthrough in medicine in my lifetime. It is the future. It is well worth its cost for certain applications that have a sound basis in medical science and are being provided by ethical physicians. But if obtaining a procedure is going to affect your daily life because you do not have the savings or discretionary income to use for the treatment…..Then do not do it!
On the other hand, if you evaluate the cost of stem cell in context of the incredible results that many patients are experiencing, and if you consider the cost of having no treatment:
- continued pain
- diability
- limited activities
- possibly finally agreeing to surgical treatment and still having pain
You may see that cell therapy offers value for the cost.
Can you afford to NOT consider cell therapy?
Cade Hildreth, who by her own admission is “a satisfied stem cell patient”, and runs the online magazine Bioinfomant, did an assessment of the cost of stem cell treatments.
Her Twitter Poll showed the following:
- 30% of the respondents undergoing stem cell treatments spent $5,000 or less
- 20% spent $5,000 to $10,000
- 40% spent $10,000 to $25,000
- 10% spent over $25,000
What is interesting is that there seems to be no rhyme or reason as to the cost of “stem cell treatments” at various clinics. The cost does not appear to be based on work involved, type of injection, severity of issues to be treated, but rather simply what that clinic chooses to charge. Price does not correspond to value.
I know a physician who began to offer stem cell, and now offers it to treat almost anything. The manner in which he practices is simply unethical. His qualifications and skill level are questionable. Yet he charges higher prices than average. Don’t rely on cost to find your provider if you choose to have cell therapy.
Why is Cell Therapy so Expensive?
There are reasons these treatments are expensive. The largest cost is the cells.
Physicians who offer to use your own stem cells, pay a great deal for the equipment used for such procedures. There are also costs education, for marketing and liability insurance and sometimes like in our case, extra costs to be involved in a large network of physicians with a great deal of experience, so we are sure to offer only the most successful procedures.
What is the cost of No Treatment?
Sometimes when we discuss cost with patients we quickly hear them say “I cannot afford that”. But is that true, really?
What is the cost of no treatment? The cost is persistent pain and disabilty that will only get worse. The cost is sleepless nights. The cost is not being able to play tennis or golf or spend active time with children or grandchildren. The cost may be finally consenting to surgery like total knee replacement, paying the copays involved, being exposed to risks of surgery and anesthesia and blood clots, and then still having a one in four chance of chronic pain.
We daily make spending decisions based not on what we need, but what we want. Marketers realize how our mind works and they promote off road vehicles, jewelry, phones and more by appealing to what these things could bring to us, what they could make us become. And we buy.
Ask yourself this: What could be more important than health?
Cell therapy treatments can be expensive, but there clearly can be value in this treatment. As you think about “stem cell” treatments and consider whether you should try it, make wise choices in choosing your provider? No physician can guarantee success but there are certainly better chances if you choose:
- a reputable physician who is board certified
- a clinic that has experience with cell therapy
- a physician who is ethical and has your best interest at heart
At Southcoast Regenerative Medicine we offer these cellular therapy treatments because we believe they work. We also offer other, less expensive treatments. Most importantly, we offer value for your cost. We have years of experience treating spine and joint pain. We constantly study current literature on regenerative techniques, utilize the data and experience of the Bluetail Medical Network with over 50,000 stem cell procedures, and we practice ethical medicine. We can help you choose the best, and the least expensive product that might work for you, and we will tell you if you are NOT a good candidate for this approach.
Doing nothing has a cost too!
No one can promise success with these treatments. What we can promise is that we will give you your best chance at success!
If you are unsure, or simply want more information: Call, send an email, or make an appointment today.
