As Oregon decriminalized small amounts of psilocybin and licensed the first psilocybin therapy center in the United States, its prices were published. The costs, however, may give some potential patients some shock.
A two-and-a-half-gram individual session of psilocybin will cost $2,800, while a four-gram session will cost $3,500.
A “level 1 microdose” session lasting 1 to 2 hours costs $500 for an individual; a “Level 2 Microdose”, “Low Dose” and “Medium Dose” session costs $800, $1,800, and $2,800 respectively for an individual. Less expensive group rates are also available.
Price of psilocybin therapies
“There is some flexibility depending on the number of services you want,” says Cathy Jonas, owner of EPIC Healing Eugene, in a video posted on the company’s website. “We really want to make this a sustainable practice, because it was very expensive to set it up, to open it up, but we also want to serve people. We want to have fun serving people. »
Services will not be covered by health insurance plans.
Although hallucinogenic mushrooms remain illegal at the federal level, Oregon approved psilocybin treatment centers late last year. In March, the state issued a first license to produce psilocybin. In April, the Oregon Health Authority issued Rose City Laboratories a license for the state’s first laboratory to test psilocybin products. Oregon regulators announced last week the first license for a psilocybin service center.
Overpriced ?
Are these first treatments too expensive? Psychedelic Spotlight, an online magazine devoted to psychedelics, recalls that in order to benefit from psilocybin treatment, a person must undergo screening and attend at least three preparatory sessions, as well as the treatment day and the treatment sessions. integration. This treatment usually requires 18-25 hours in total, with therapists typically charging $150-200 per hour.
The cost of a mid-dose psilocybin therapy session, which can be as high as $3,500, can seem daunting at first. However, it is important to compare these costs to current treatments for illnesses such as depression, for example. Traditional treatments for depression can also be expensive. The average monthly cost of generic antidepressants is $62.50, while the cost of branded antidepressants can be as high as $487.75, or $750 and $5,853 per year. Even with insurance, there may be additional costs such as deductibles and copayments. Therapy sessions can also account for up to 50% of the total cost of depression treatment, with each session costing around $100 per hour. And if hospital care is needed, the cost can range from $6,000 to $8,000 per month.
In comparison, studies have shown that a single dose of psilocybin can potentially relieve symptoms of depression for up to a year. Considering the potential long-term benefits of psilocybin therapy and the costs associated with traditional treatments, current prices for psilocybin therapy may in fact be reasonable.
The experience also takes place in a clinical and safe setting. Patients can rest easy knowing that the source of psilocybin is reputable and the dosage will be carefully adjusted.
