How Much Does an Individualized Chronic Pain Program Cost?
- Dr. Jason Winkelmann
- Jan 14
- 13 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Introduction
A few months ago, I sat across from a woman named Holly.
She had tears in her eyes, not because she was in pain (though she was), but because this was her tenth “last resort.” She had seen specialists. Tried physical therapy. Spent thousands on injections, supplements, and online programs. Her scans were “normal.” Her labs were “fine.” Everyone told her that her fibromyalgia was just something she’d have to live with.
Then she asked the question I’ve heard hundreds of times:“How much is this going to cost and what if it doesn’t work?”
If you're living with chronic pain, I imagine you've asked yourself that too, and there’s a good chance this isn’t your first stop. Because when you’ve already spent so much money, time, and hope, price isn’t just about dollars. It’s about the emotional risk of being disappointed again, and that fear is valid. Most people reading this are already exhausted — physically, emotionally, financially and we want to minimize that as much as we can.
In this article we'll explain:
What an individualized chronic pain program typically costs
Why it costs more than many traditional options
What factors affect the price
Who this type of program is, and is not , a good fit for
We answer these questions not just for our True Health Chronic Pain Program, but all of the most popular chronic pain treatment options out there. We know cost is often the deciding factor and avoiding it only creates more anxiety.
No fluff. No pressure. Just real numbers, real expectations, and a path forward that makes sense.
Quick Answer: What Does A Chronic Pain Program Cost?
There are a variety of chronic pain treatment options out there. They range from $0 with insurance to $54,000 in some instances. Most programs fall within a customized range based on treatment length, services included, and clinical complexity, rather than a flat fee. A personalized evaluation is required to determine exact cost.
Below are examples of different types of chronic pain care, their duration, and cost. The True Health Chronic Pain Program ranges from $990 to $7,900. If that makes your stomach tighten, that’s normal. Keep reading to understand why it might be the best value for you.
What Factors Influence The Cost Of A Chronic Pain Program In General?
Where Are You Getting Your Care?
Where you are receiving your chronic pain care can be the greatest factor influencing price. There are 6 general categories of clinics that offer care for chronic pain.
In The True Health Chronic Pain Program, we are able to offer more targeted and individualized treatments than more conventional clinics do. We are also proud to not carry as high of costs as other clinics of our caliber.
What Is Included?
Initial appointment. Is it 10 minutes or is it 3 hours? Do you just talk about your pain or your entire health history?
Amount of visits. Do you pay per visit? Is there a fixed number of visits or unlimited?
Lab testing. Are they the same basic labs you have had all your life? Are they pain specific or do they assess various organs and systems? Can anyone purchase them or are they provider only labs? Is the laboratory CLIA certified?
Type of treatments. Pharmaceuticals and injections are usually covered by insurance but are generalized "standard of care" treatments. Chiropractic, nutritional counseling, cold laser therapy, and supplementation are more personalized examples and generally not covered by insurance.
Education. Online courses are prerecorded and intended for the general chronic pain sufferer. Personalized pain education only comes with individualized care.
The True Health Chronic Pain Program is all inclusive of: an initial 3 hour appointment, advanced laboratory testing from CLIA certified labs, unlimited visits, physician quality supplements, and customized pain education so you can remain pain free for life.
What Is The Duration of The Program?
General pain management clinics offer a la carte treatments where you pay per visit.
Intensive inpatient and outpatient programs are typically a few weeks long.
Specialized chronic pain treatment programs are typically months long.
Online courses are self paced but may have a time limit on them.
The True Health Chronic Pain Program is 1, 3, or 6 months long.
Is The Program Customized To You?
Primary care clinics, generalized pain management clinics, and online courses typically provide blanket care for your diagnosis. They follow the "standard of care" which suggests that everyone with the same diagnosis gets the same treatment plan.
Intensive inpatient and outpatient clinics are able to offer more customized care but the short duration of the program limits how individualized your care can be.
Specialized chronic pain programs are able to offer the most individualized care.
The True Health Chronic Pain Program is individually customized for each patient. You never have to worry about us only following the "standard of care" or providing predetermined protocols.
Who Is Treating You?
Interdisciplinary teams are able to offer various perspectives but this opens the door for confusion and discontinuity of care.
Assistants may be utilized by busier clinics. They are the ones performing many of the treatments. This may or may not influence the quality of care but does leave less time with your doctor.
Your doctor. How much face to face time with your doctor influences the customization of your treatment plan and treatment outcomes.
Yourself. With online programs you are being taught by various practioners, but ultimately, the responsibility of treating yourself falls on you.
Within The True Health Chronic Pain Program, all of your chronic pain treatments are facilitated by Dr. Winkelmann.
Does Insurance Cover It?
Conventional chronic pain care is typically covered by insurance. However, this may limit testing and treatment options and may carry visit limits.
Intensive inpatient and outpatients centers may be able to bill your insurance for some of it but there is likely an out of pocket cost.
Online programs and specialized chronic pain treatment programs are typically not covered by insurance.
The True Health Chronic Pain Program is not covered by insurance due to the quantity and type of care provided. It is, however, HSA / FSA eligible.
Why Don't Chronic Pain Programs Have a Simple Price Tag?
When your phone stops working it is easy to diagnose the issue and replace the damaged part. The labor and part costs are well documented and easy to calculate.
Most chronic pain programs and healthcare systems avoid fixed pricing because human physiology is not predictable or uniform. Chronic pain does not follow a single pathway, and the amount of time, evaluation, testing, and treatment a person requires varies widely from patient to patient. In a fixed-cost model, clinics take on financial risk if a patient needs more care than the “average” case. The only way to protect against that risk is to standardize care—limiting time, narrowing treatment options, and delivering predetermined protocols rather than adapting to the individual. As a result, fixed pricing often incentivizes uniform treatment plans over personalized care, even though individualized approaches are often what complex chronic pain actually requires.
Primary care settings and general pain management clinics bill per apppointment, per test, and per treatment. The cost varies based on what you are provided and what your insurance covers.
Intensive inpatient & outpatient clinics and specialized chronic pain programs have a general, undisclosed base price but you are ultimately billed for each individual thing which makes the cost unpredictable.
Online Courses are typically the only form of chronic pain care that offer standard pricing models because there is no customization to them.
The True Health Chronic Pain Program utilizes fixed prices while still providing all inclusive and completely individualized treatment programs. It is already unfair that you have to suffer from chronic pain. Having to pay more for that misfortune is unjust. Sometimes we lose money on patients and that feels worth it to us.
Is an Individualized Chronic Pain Program More Expensive Than Standard Care?
Upfront? Yes. Long term? Not even close.
Standard care spreads cost out over years: copays, medications, imaging, procedures, missed work, and lost quality of life. Most people don’t track the total, but even with insurance, the cost can be staggering. The average American with chronic pain spends an additional $8,068 on medical care per year. For those with high-impact chronic pain, this burden averages $14,661.
When we map it out with patients, many are surprised to realize they’ve already spent far more money chasing symptoms than the cost of our programs. Keep in mind, the goal of the True Health Chronic Pain Program is to end your pain, not manage it differently.
The following table breaks down the cost of each of our a la carte offerings, and what the average chronic pain patient would pay over a 1, 3, and 6 month duration if they were not enrolled in one of our programs.
For $7,900 Holly was not only able to reduce her daily pain from an 8/10 to 0/10 with a minor monthly flare, but she was able to cut her reliance on doctors. She's now able to start saving all the money she used to spend on pain management for travel and retirement.
What Are You Actually Paying For With The True Health Chronic Pain Program?
Hopefully by now you have looked into our program and have a good understanding of what it includes. If not you can learn here.
As a refresher, our all-inclusive, individualized programs include:
Initial 3 hour assessment
Advanced laboratory testing
Unlimited treatments
Nutritional & lifestyle counseling
Mind-body counseling
Chiropractic adjustments and mobilizations
Soft tissue therapy
Cold laser therapy
IR sauna therapy
Hydrotherapy
Physician quality supplements
Custom orthotics
What Does a “One-Size-Fits-All” Pain Program Cost—and Why Do They Often Fail?
There is a wave of online health programs happening right now. Typically curated by "celebrity" doctors, they may consist of an initial at home lab test followed by instructional videos on how to improve your health yourself. They vary in price significantly based on the labs provided and the length of the course. I am not going to criticize them because there is a time and place for these courses, considering health education is severely lacking and doctors aren't being reimbursed by insurance companies to spend time educating patients on proper nutrition, lifestyle habits, etc.
These template programs are cheaper (a couple hundred to a few thousand dollars) because the doctor only has to film them once and they assume everyone needs the same thing.
I think you see where this is going.
This brings us right back to the standard of care you are coming from. You get the same treatment as everyone else with your diagnosis regardless of your individual needs. However, these programs typically aren't condition specific, they are broadly made for all chronic pain conditions. You will likely experience some benefits but they are unlikely to be as complete or lasting as a personalized chronic pain treatment program.
Why Doesn't Insurance Cover Chronic Pain Programs?
The premise of medical insurance is wonderful. The practice of it, however, is flawed.
When you go to the doctor, they should be able to take their time properly assessing you, be able to run all of the appropriate labs and tests, and provide you with a treatment that makes sense for you. Unfortunately, this is not how it works under an insurance based model of healthcare.
In reality, it's your insurance company (who are not doctors) that dictates what labs, tests, and treatments you get. They also decide how much the doctor gets reimbursed, sometimes irregardless of the time and effort spent on you. Therefore, in order to make what they deserve, doctors have to see more patients in the same amount of time which is why your appointments keep getting shorter and less of your complaints get to be heard.
This doesn't fit our model of medicine here at True Health Centers. We do not prescribe "a pill for an ill." We take our time with each patient, thoroughly evaluate them with advanced laboratory testing, and treat them with an individualized plan that doesn't utilize prescription pharmaceuticals, injections, or operations. Because at the end of the day, our practitioners know what is best for you, not your insurance company. Since this is not the 'standard of care' insurance companies are reluctant to pay for it.
We want you to be able to use the insurance you are paying for, but we also want you to get better. Medical insurance is wonderful for routine care, prescription medications, and emergencies, but it ultimately hinders your chronic pain care.
Can You Use HSA, or FSA to Pay for Our Chronic Pain Program?
Yes! While you cannot use your medical insurance, you can use your HSA or FSA account for our chronic pain program and all products and services you may need after the completion of your program.
Are Cheaper Chronic Pain Programs a Red Flag?
Not always—but price should raise questions.
Low-cost programs often rely on:
Group protocols
Minimal provider involvement
Short timelines
Self learning
Additional costs
For some people, that’s enough. For complex pain, it usually isn’t.
Cheaper programs typically accept medical insurance which puts you right back into the vicious cycle you came from: short and limited visits, limited testing and treatment options, and symptom management.
What Is the Cost Difference Between Symptom Management and Remission-Focused Care?
You're living the symptom management option right now, and it may not be costing you anything with your insurance. And that is wonderful; exactly how healthcare should be in my opinion. But you have to be honest with yourself about the quality of care you are receiving and the results you are getting. Staying this course may be the most affordable option for you but it's costing you more in other ways.
If you are currently paying for your pain management right now, you have to do the math on how much it is costing you year after year to stay in the same place.
The True Health Chronic Pain Program carries an upfront investment that can be as high as $7,900. Let’s not gloss over it — $7,900 is a serious number. For some people, it’s a hard stop. For others, it’s the moment they finally ask a different question: “What has staying stuck already cost me?” This program isn’t cheap but it is guaranteed to be the most holistic and individualized care you have experienced.
How Much Does It Cost to Keep Living With Untreated or Poorly Managed Chronic Pain?
What I wish every patient understood is that cost is not just financial. It is what you risk losing by not taking action. This is the hardest cost to quantify:
Lost income
Strained relationships
Missed life experiences
Mental health impact
How Can You Tell If an Individualized Pain Program Is Worth the Cost?
Ask:
Do they have an idea of my individual needs even before the first visit?
Do they explain why pain persists?
Can they outline a phased plan?
Do they discuss limitations honestly?
Are expectations realistic?
If answers feel vague, keep looking. But if the doctor gives you the time to tell your story and can immediately tell you something you haven't heard before, they are worth exploring more.
What Questions Should You Ask Before Paying for a Chronic Pain Program?
You have every right to ask as many questions as you need to get clarification on anything that may be confusing. Some questions you should get answers to include:
What is and is not included?
Are there any hidden fees?
What systems are evaluated?
How is progress measured?
What happens if I flare?
How often is care adjusted?
What results can I expect?
Why is this program right for me?
Why wouldn't I be a good fit for this program?
Who Is a Good Fit For The True Health Chronic Pain Program?
Our program works best for people who:
Want understanding, not quick fixes
Can commit time and attention
Understand that True Health is an active pursuit not the result of passive therapies
Are ready for gradual change
Who Should Not Invest In The True Health Chronic Pain Program?
We're not a good fit if you:
Are looking for the cheapest possible option
Seek immediate relief
Are only looking for passive care (i.e. medications)
Aren't willing to make nutritional and lifestyle changes
Want someone else to “fix” everything
One of the main reasons we require a free phone consult before you proceed with our program is to ensure you are a good fit. We know the type of results we can produce and if we don't think that is possible with you we won't let you invest in our program.
Is There a Payment Plan or Phased Approach to The True Health Chronic Pain Program?
We understand that putting an end to your chronic pain can be hard to afford, especially at a time when you can't afford not to get the care you deserve.
Monthly payment plans are available for the 3 and 6 month programs with a 10% fee. The first payment is due at your first visit.
What Results Are Reasonable to Expect for the Cost of an Individualized Program?
I wish I could give you a straightforward answer here, but as you can understand, there are so many variables that determine program outcomes. Six months of treatment is a relatively short period of time compared to the years, or even decades, your chronic pain has been developing. While full remission can occur in that timeframe for some people, it is not something we automatically promise or expect for every case. What we do expect, and consistently see, is meaningful progress that patients have not experienced with prior approaches. Just as important, the education you receive throughout the program equips you to continue supporting your own health long after the formal program ends.
What I can say is that, on average, our patients experience 80% improvement with our 6 month program. The remaining improvement usually takes a little longer but is fully possible because of the education you receive, which allows you to keep treating yourself after the formal program ends.
There are inherently some things, like mold toxicity, certain comorbidities, or not adhering closely to your treatment plan, that will hinder results. These variables are something we begin to identify during your free phone consult, then clarify further after your initial visit and laboratory evaluation. Allowing expectations to be tailored realistically to your situation.
You can watch Holly's story below to better understand the program and what results typically look like.
How to Decide If the Cost of an Individualized Chronic Pain Program Is Right for You?
An individualized chronic pain program isn’t designed to be the cheapest option.
It’s designed for people who are ready to stop cycling through short-term solutions and want a deeper, more lasting approach.
Whether you choose this path or not, you deserve clarity before you commit, not after.
If you’d like help determining whether this type of program actually makes sense for you, we’re happy to talk it through.
No pressure. Just an honest conversation.
Written By:
Dr. Jason Winkelmann
Chronic Pain Specialist and Educator
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the True Health Chronic Pain Program cost?
The True Health Chronic Pain Program ranges from $990 for one month of all-inclusive care to $7,900 for 6 months of all-inclusive care.
What’s included in the True Health Chronic Pain Program?
The program is all-inclusive and individualized, including a 3-hour initial assessment, advanced lab testing, unlimited treatments (like nutritional & lifestyle counseling, mind-body counseling, chiropractic, soft tissue therapy, cold laser, IR sauna, hydrotherapy), physician-quality supplements, and custom orthotics.
What factors influence the price of a chronic pain program?
The biggest cost drivers are: where you’re getting care, what’s included, program duration, how customized it is, and how much direct time you get with the doctor.
Does insurance cover the True Health Chronic Pain Program?
No, unfortunately due to the duration and type of treatments provided insurance does not cover our program.
Can I use HSA or FSA funds to pay?
Yes, you can use your HSA or FSA to pay for our program.
Are there payment plans available?
Yes. Monthly payment plans are available for the 3- and 6-month programs with a 10% fee, and the first payment is due at the first visit.
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