The Best Spravato Clinic in Denver: 7 Questions to Ask Before You Book
The Best Spravato Clinic in Denver: 7 Questions to Ask Before You Book
1. How experienced is your provider with treatment-resistant depression?
REMS certification means a clinic is allowed to give Spravato. It doesn't say anything about how often they do it, how they handle difficult cases, or whether they've been trained in mental health specifically. Ask how many Spravato patients the provider has personally managed. Ask about their primary clinical background. A primary care doctor giving Spravato in a side room and a mental-health-focused provider with a dedicated practice are not the same thing.
2. Is the clinic fully REMS-certified — and can they confirm it?
The FDA requires every Spravato site and provider to be enrolled in the REMS program. This is non-negotiable. Any clinic offering Spravato should be able to confirm enrollment immediately. If a clinic hesitates or doesn't know what REMS is, that's a hard no.
3. What does the observation room actually look like?
You'll be in that room for two hours per session, often twice a week to start. Ask: is it private or shared? Is the chair a recliner? Can you control the lights? Is there a bathroom you can use during observation? This isn't aesthetic vanity — your physical comfort and sense of safety in the room directly affect how the medicine lands.
4. How does the clinic handle insurance and prior authorization?
Spravato prior authorizations are notoriously paperwork-heavy. Some clinics push it back on you and your psychiatrist. The best clinics in Denver have a dedicated person who handles benefits checks, prior auth submissions, and appeals on your behalf. Ask specifically: who at your clinic does this work, and what happens if I'm denied?
5. What aftercare and between-session support is included?
Spravato isn't a one-and-done treatment. You'll be in induction (twice a week) for at least four weeks, then maintenance. Ask what happens between sessions if your mood drops, side effects worsen, or you have a question. Is there a number to call? Does your provider see you between sessions, or only on dosing days?
6. What are the red flags?
Watch out for: pressure to commit on the first call, no required initial consultation, no medical history review, no honest discussion of side effects or risks, a flat "all patients pay this much" with no insurance check, and any clinic that's vague about who actually delivers the medicine. Walk away from any of those.
7. How does Stellar Genesis Professional answer each of these?
Briefly — I'm a mental health-focused provider personally managing every patient. We're fully REMS-certified. Each patient gets a private observation room with controllable lighting and music. We handle prior authorizations in-house. Patients have my team's direct line between sessions. And the first conversation is always a free consult, no pressure.
