If you’ve been told your iron or ferritin is low and you’ve started calling around, you’ve probably noticed nobody will give you a number. Here is how it actually works at a cash-pay clinic like ours.
Why nobody posts a price
An iron infusion isn’t one product. The dose depends on your weight and how low your iron is, and different iron products cost very different amounts. Hospital infusion centers add a facility fee on top, which is why insured patients see bills in the thousands and uninsured patients often get no quote at all.
What the price depends on
Three things: which iron product your provider orders, how many milligrams you need (one visit or two), and where you get it. In an office suite there’s no facility fee. At I Vie the first step is a $100 iron consult, and that $100 is credited toward your infusion when you start.
Do I need a referral or a prescription?
Not from an outside doctor. If you already have labs (a CBC, ferritin and iron studies), text us a photo and our provider reviews them. If you don’t, we draw them in the suite; results take about 48 hours. If your labs support an infusion, our medical director writes the order.
How many infusions?
Some people need one, many need two, and a few need more. Your labs set the plan. Each visit is about 60 minutes: roughly 30 minutes of iron plus fluids, in a private chair with a nurse the whole time.
Will insurance pay?
We’re a cash-pay clinic and don’t bill insurance, which is part of why the price is simple. If you have good coverage and a referral, a hospital center may cost you less out of pocket; if you have a high deductible, no coverage or a long wait, a cash clinic is often faster and cheaper. Compare both numbers before you decide.
Who should not get IV iron
People with certain infections, liver disease or a history of reaction to IV iron need a closer look first. Everyone is screened, and the provider decides. Side effects can include headache, nausea and joint aches for a day or two; serious reactions are rare and the nurse monitors you throughout.
The honest comparison
Oral iron is cheap and works for a lot of people, if their gut tolerates it and absorbs it. IV iron is for people it doesn’t work for, people who need their levels up fast, and people whose doctor has already recommended it. If you’re not sure which you are, the consult is the place to find out.
How to start
Book the $100 iron consult online, or text a photo of your labs to (559) 338-5503 and we’ll tell you the next step, usually the same day. Tuesdays, iron infusions are 10% off like every other IV.
