If you’re dealing with low energy, brain fog, or exhaustion from low iron and considering iron infusions in Nanaimo, you’ve probably wondered how to get treatment without breaking the bank. I get that! Life is expensive.

Navigating coverage for injection and infusion therapies can feel confusing, but can help you get the absolute most out of your benefits.

Here’s a breakdown of how public health plans, private insurance, and smart prescription strategies work together so you don’t have to pay more than you need to.

Public Health Coverage vs. Private Benefits in BC

When patients ask about insurance coverage at our clinic, there can be a bit of confusion around what MSP (BC’s public health plan) handles versus extended health benefits.

MSP covers a subset of patients based on income tier, offering $23 per visit for up to 10 visits total per calendar year across all paramedical categories. That includes naturopathic medicine, chiropractic care, acupuncture, and massage therapy, etc. Unfortunately, that $23 amount hasn’t changed since I started practicing back in 2007 (even though life is far more expensive than it was then!)

On the other hand, most patients are delighted to find out that private extended health plans cover our naturopathic treatments. We offer direct billing right at the office, so you’re only responsible for your copay, or sometimes nothing at all if you’ve got an exceptional plan or extra coverage through a spouse or family member.

We direct bill with the vast majority of major insurance providers, including:

• Pacific Blue Cross (local teachers and nurses)

• Sun Life (municipal employees in Nanaimo)

• Canada Life

• Manulife

• Green Shield (including coverage for veterans and RCMP officers), etc.

And to be clear, this direct billing can be applied al all of the treatments I offer at Nanaimo IV Therapy.

The Prescription Hack That Saves You Up to $60 Per Session

This is the most important insider tip I share with my patients: how we split up the cost of the treatment service and the iron itself to stretch your benefits further.

Our in-office treatments are a set price, which our staff run through the direct billing portal under the naturopathic benefit category.

Now, for iron infusions, we can use a clever approach that saves you more of our precious, hard-earned money.

At your initial injection consult, you and I will review your case and blood work. I’ll calculate exactly how many vials of iron you’ll need to get your ferritin up over 100 mg/L.

From there, I write a prescription and fax it straight to the pharmacy of your choice.

You pick up the total number of vials needed for your full treatment protocol. Because most extended health drug plans cover pharmaceuticals exceptionally well**, most of our patients pay nothing (or hardly anything) out-of-pocket at the pharmacy counter.

When you bring those prescribed vials into our clinic for your appointment, I administer the iron via IV, and we discount your treatment fee:

• Save $30 on a 100 mg iron IV session (using 1 vial of iron sucrose).

• Save $60 on a 200 mg iron infusion session (using 2 vials).

It’s a complete win-win. You use your drug plan for the medication, which allows your annual naturopathic coverage to cover more. YAAAS!

Real Patient Example: How Katherine Saved Money on Her Iron Protocol

I met Katherine when her ferritin was 30 ug/L. To get her up to a level where we can rule out iron deficiency as an issue, we calculated she’d need about 600 mg of iron. We planned her protocol for 700 mg to give her a comfortable buffer above the target of 100 ug/L.

During her initial injection consult, we administered her first 100 mg dose using the in-clinic stock so she could get quick relief. At the same time, I wrote a prescription for her remaining 6 vials of iron. You get me?

She picked up all 6 vials at her local pharmacy and paid... drumroll... zero dollars. Not even a dispensing fee. She brought those vials into our office, and I'm keeping them safely for her upcoming sessions.

Bringing in her own medication reduced her in-office fee from $275 down to $215 for every remaining infusion. She’s already feeling glimmers of improvement in energy and mood as we work through her protocol, and her wallet is much happier for it.

Choosing the Best Path for Your First Visit

This prescription setup isn’t something we can arrange until we meet in person at your injection consult. When we meet we’ll map out your plan together.

You’ve got two great choices for how to begin:

• Option 1 (Fast Track): Combine your injection consult with your very first 100 mg iron treatment on day one. I’ll supply the iron for that first session so you get immediate treatment, and then I’ll write a prescription for your remaining sessions so you can save on the rest. Admittedly I recommend this option because I know how tired of being tired you are , so might as well get started on feeling better, right?

• Option 2 (Maximum Savings): Book the injection consult on its own first. I’ll assess your needs and write your prescription. You’ll pick up all your vials from the pharmacy, bring them to your next appointment, and enjoy the discounted rate on every single infusion from start to finish. Totally up to you!

Whenever you’re ready to start feeling like yourself again, we’re here to help you get the care you need while maximizing every dollar of your insurance coverage.

** Don't get me started on how bat-s**t, donkey-a** backwards and crazy I think that is. PASSION!