Financial & Insurance Information
We offer care outside traditional insurance networks. Why? So that we can focus on you, rather than checking insurance boxes. This means we can provide the treatments you need and customize your care without limitations.
With this in mind, we are self-pay and are out of network with all insurance companies including Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE. We accept credit cards, HSA cards and more.
We will submit insurance claims for services provided on your behalf if you have out-of-network benefits and have any insurance other than Blue Cross Blue Shield. Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) will not reimburse for services, regardless of whether you have out-of-network benefit status. In addition, the Carolina Center will not provide BCBS any records for the purpose of insurance determination if requested by the insurance company or the patient.
While many of our services have been covered by insurance in the past, we cannot guarantee coverage for any charges we submit.
Finally, the Center has “opted out” of the Medicare and Medicaid program.
In summary, your ability to receive insurance reimbursement for any of the charges at the Carolina Center will depend on the specific policies of your insurance carrier.
Except for BCBS, Medicare, and Medicaid many insurance carriers are increasingly willing to provide coverage for integrative medicine, recognizing its emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention (which ultimately translates into lower health care costs over time).
We will work with you as much as possible and plan strategically to minimize costs while hopefully meeting your treatment and health-related goals.
Need Additional Support?
We also accept CareCredit, a health, wellness and personal care credit card that gives you the ability to pay over time with financing options for expenses of $200 or more. CareCredit can be used to pay for deductibles, copays and out-of-pocket expenses not covered by insurance.
Estimating Treatment Costs
We see a wide variety of patients who have many different treatments needs, therefore; it is impossible to provide an estimate of treatment costs that would be applicable to each individual patient.
Treatment costs are tied to the number and frequency of treatments and the level of intensity of the overall process. Many times, this is the scenario with patients with advanced medical conditions who are very unstable and need an “Intensive Care Unit” approach to their treatment.
As patients stabilize, treatment can be reduced, and costs can come down. However it is very challenging to predict when that will happen because it is determined on an individual basis.
Some patients may be in a less serious situation and can benefit from less intense therapy and therefore keep costs down.
See examples below.
Examples
Here are general examples for possible treatment costs for individuals receiving the following therapies over the course of approximately six months. These estimates include the costs for IV therapies, office visits, colon hydrotherapy and other therapies. These do not include the cost of pharmaceuticals, herbs, supplements or any other components of treatment.
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This example includes a wide number of patient types in overall good health who want to stay healthy, but also those who may have several nagging chronic symptoms for which no one has been able to correct. These patients may undergo some nutrient infusions and colon therapy as part of first phase boosting, then only do maintenance every 1-2 months afterward. They typically will do a chelation challenge test to assess for heavy metals. Office Visits are typically every 6-8 weeks until stable then every 3-4 months and then every six months.
AVERAGE COST FOR THE ABOVE FOR SIX MONTHS: $5,000 – $8,000
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In this example, these patients may have other health issues, but heart and circulation are their main concern. Treatment for the patients can include two levels of aggressiveness:
General Integrative Cardiology which includes extensive genetic and laboratory testing to understand the factors contributing to these conditions then implementation of diet & lifestyle changes, nutritional supplementation and other treatment components.
The more intense level of treatment will employ Sodium EDTA Chelation Therapy, the NIH proven therapy to improve vascular function, clearing plaque and reducing post heart attack complications.
AVERAGE COST FOR THE ABOVE FOR SIX MONTHS:
Program without IV’s: $2,500 – $3,000
Program with IV Chelation: $6,000 – $10,000
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In this example, treatment will be focused on supporting a healthy digestive ecosystem, potentially treating for intestinal bacterial or fungal overgrowth, and using nutrient to support GI repair and regeneration. The primary therapy employed for GI support is Colon Hydrotherapy, these treatments being carried out on a weekly basis.
AVERAGE COST FOR THE ABOVE FOR SIX MONTHS: $4,000 – $5,000
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In this example, a patient is diagnosed by a chelation challenge test which is performed after patients have undergone initial nutrient infusions to be sure minerals levels are optimal. If metals are observed to be elevated, patients can elect to undergo a series of Calcium EDTA chelation therapy (with IV DMPS or oral DMSA based on availability) periodically checking the urine to observe the lowering of metals.
AVERAGE COST FOR THE ABOVE FOR SIX MONTHS: $5,000 – $6,000
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This example is for the patient who does not need extensive support and stabilization treatment, maybe only getting a few nutrient IV infusions or glutathione infusions, but mostly is undergoing regular office visits and treatment with anti-microbial agents.
AVERAGE COST FOR THE ABOVE SIX MONTHS: $5,000 – $10,000
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This example is for patients who require more extensive treatments in order to become stable enough to undergo anti-microbial therapy. These patients may need to have PICC line for home IV infusions which involves additional costs. These patients may need intravenous antibiotics which is typically not covered by insurance. This is the hardest group to provide an estimate for cost hence the large range.
AVERAGE COST FOR THE ABOVE SIX MONTHS: $10,000 – $15,000+ (if including cost of IV antibiotics)
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This example is for patients who may be in an earlier phase of cancer, undergoing a conventional treatment and looking for us to help support them through that treatment to avoid side effects and complications, or in general doesn’t need very aggressive therapy. These patients will typically undergo 6-8 nutrient IV infusions for general rebuilding then do these again only as needed. Detoxification will be a primary focus of treatment and implementation of diet and supplementation that is documented to specifically help patients with cancer.
AVERGE COST FOR THE ABOVE SIX MONTHS: $5,000 – $10,000
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This example is for patients who may be in more advances phases of cancer and need more aggressive therapy, sometimes having stopped conventional treatment relying solely on Integrative therapies. Treatments are typically carried out 2-3 days a week which once taught by our staff can be performed at home which saves time and costs. Treatment length is solely determined by response to treatment so it should be considered ongoing and indefinite until testing demonstrates reduction or eradication of the tumor. This makes this the most open-ended course of treatment but also the most intense.
AVERAGE COST FOR THE ABOVE PER MONTH: $6,000 – $8,000