Foundation Medical Group plans to offer Spravato at our American Fork clinic in Utah County. But we don’t offer it there today, and there’s no start date yet. For now, our Spravato treatment runs only at our Richmond, Virginia clinic. If you’re a Utah adult, you can still start now with psychiatric care by secure video.
Is Spravato Available in Utah County at Foundation Medical Group?
Not yet. Spravato is on our plan for American Fork, and that’s as far as we can honestly go: no start date, no price, no way to book it in Utah. If you were hoping for a clinic just down the road, that’s frustrating. We’d rather you read it here than find out on a call.
Today we give Spravato in one place: Spravato treatment in Richmond. Our team there is REMS-certified. Our Utah clinic page lists Spravato as planned, not available yet. So what can a Utah County patient do in the meantime? The next sections cover that.
What Does the American Fork Clinic Offer Today?
Our American Fork clinic is at 456 E State Street, Suite 1400, American Fork, UT 84003. Call (801) 876-5998, Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm, with Saturday by appointment. Patients drive in from Provo, Orem, Lindon and Saratoga Springs.
In person, we treat opioid use with Suboxone, Vivitrol and buprenorphine. That’s our substance abuse care in Utah, and our Suboxone clinic in Utah page explains how it works.
Mental health care runs a little differently. Utah adults see a psychiatrist in American Fork by secure video, through our telehealth service. Talk therapy runs by video too, with a therapist in American Fork.
What Is Spravato Nasal Spray and How Does It Work?
Spravato is esketamine, a prescription nasal spray for adults with depression. Esketamine is the S-enantiomer of racemic ketamine, one of the two mirror-image forms that make up ketamine. It acts on the brain’s NMDA receptor, which is a different path from most antidepressant pills.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, it acts rapidly, typically within a couple of hours. People usually keep taking an antidepressant pill alongside it. Our guide on how Spravato works goes deeper.
Who Is a Candidate for Spravato Treatment?
So who is it for? The label covers two groups of adults. First, those with treatment-resistant depression. Second, those with major depressive disorder and acute suicidal thoughts or behavior, who take it with an oral antidepressant. It isn’t approved for children.
Treatment-resistant depression means a person hasn’t improved after at least two antidepressants. That’s an exhausting place to be. Tell your provider if you or anyone in your family has had bipolar disorder. In the end, a psychiatrist decides fit after an evaluation. Read more on treatment-resistant depression.
What Happens During a Spravato Treatment Session, and How Often?
Spravato is only given at health care settings certified in the SPRAVATO REMS program. You use the nasal spray yourself while staff watch, and your blood pressure is checked before and after.
Each patient is monitored for at least 2 hours every session, and the provider decides when you can leave. You’ll need someone to drive you home, and no driving until the next day after a restful night’s sleep.
The label schedule is twice a week in weeks 1 to 4, once a week in weeks 5 to 8, then weekly or every 2 weeks. Benefit is checked at the end of the first 4 weeks.
Here’s what that means in practice: about two hours per visit, twice a week for a month, plus a driver every time. And from Utah County, Richmond is a cross-country trip, so that first month takes real planning. Work it out before you start.
What Are the Side Effects of Spravato Nasal Spray?
According to the label, the most common side effects are dissociation, dizziness, nausea, sedation, vertigo, decreased feeling or sensitivity, anxiety, lethargy, increased blood pressure, vomiting, feeling drunk and headache.
It’s a long list, honestly. The label’s boxed warning names sedation, dissociation, breathing problems, abuse and misuse, and suicidal thoughts. That’s why every treatment session is watched. Our page on Spravato side effects has more.
Does Insurance Cover Spravato in Utah?
Short answer: we can’t tell you yet. We don’t offer Spravato in Utah, so there’s no Utah Spravato billing and no price to give. Whether a health plan pays for Spravato depends on the plan.
The care American Fork gives today is a separate question. For it, Blue Cross Blue Shield of UT (Regence BCBS), SelectHealth (Intermountain) and Aetna are listed; call to confirm coverage. UHC (Optum), Cigna, Utah Medicaid, Molina Healthcare and University of Utah Health Plans are expected but not available yet. Until then we work as a concierge practice and can help you file out-of-network claims. Medicare, Humana and TRICARE: call to confirm coverage.
Our Richmond clinic lists Anthem, Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Optima and Virginia Medicaid for Spravato; call to confirm coverage for each. Richmond doesn’t accept Medicare.
A Utah plan may not pay for care in Virginia, so call your plan’s behavioral health line first. Utah Medicaid members can check their plan through Utah Medicaid managed care. See also does Medicaid cover Spravato. Coverage varies by plan and state. Yes, that’s one more phone call, but it’s the one worth making.
How Is Spravato Different From IV Ketamine?
Esketamine is one form of ketamine, but the two drugs carry very different labels.
| Spravato (esketamine nasal spray) | IV ketamine (ketamine injection) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Esketamine, one form of ketamine | Ketamine, a mix of arketamine and esketamine |
| How it is given | Nasal spray the patient uses under supervision | Injection into a vein or a muscle |
| What its FDA label covers | Treatment-resistant depression in adults; depressive symptoms with acute suicidal thoughts, with an oral antidepressant | General anesthesia for procedures and surgery |
| Approved as an anesthetic | No | Yes |
We don’t offer ketamine at any clinic today. A psychiatrist can weigh your depression treatment options with you, and our guide to Spravato treatment near me compares locations.
How Can Someone in Utah County Start Depression Care Now?
- Book psychiatric care by secure video: call (801) 876-5998. Most new patients are seen within 48 hours.
- Bring your history: which antidepressants you tried, for how long, and any talk therapy (even the kind that didn’t seem to help).
- If Spravato may fit, our Richmond team is the option we have today (Spravato in Richmond), or a REMS-certified setting your plan lists. Plan the 2-hour visits and a driver.
- Ask about other treatment options. TMS therapy runs in Richmond and is planned in Utah (TMS therapy near me).
Depression is very treatable. But Spravato isn’t rapid relief for a crisis, and we’re not a 24/7 service. In a crisis, call or text 988.
Key Takeaways
- Spravato is planned at American Fork, with no start date yet.
- We offer Spravato today only in Richmond, Virginia.
- Each session means at least 2 hours of monitoring and a ride home.
- Utah adults can start with psychiatric care by video.
- Call your plan first; Richmond doesn’t accept Medicare.
Sources
- DailyMed (National Library of Medicine), SPRAVATO (esketamine) nasal spray, prescribing information
- DailyMed, SPRAVATO Medication Guide
- MedlinePlus, Esketamine Nasal Spray
- DailyMed, KETALAR (ketamine hydrochloride) injection, prescribing information
- National Institute of Mental Health, Depression (publication)
- American Psychiatric Association, What Is Depression?
- Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Utah Medicaid managed care
- SAMHSA, 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline