Iowa medical marijuana card appointments get costly
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Appointments for Iowans seeking medical marijuana cards have become a booming telehealth business.
Why it matters: While these appointments are more accessible, they're also dominated by national, third-party companies that can charge up to $200 for an appointment.
- That's on top of the $100 annual application fee to the state, unless patients have a Medicaid or Social Security disability card.
What's happening: Iowa's cannabis program saw major growth in 2022, resulting in nearly 15,000 people obtaining a license and multiple dispensaries breaking $1 million in annual sales.
- About 51% of health consultations have been virtual this year, according to the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services.
Zoom in: A Google search for Iowa medical marijuana card appointments shows dozens of national businesses offering services.
- Popular options like Veriheal ($199) or Presto Doctor ($160) aren't cheap.
Zoom in: Ed Schneiders, a local advanced registered nurse practitioner, previously worked in ER rooms.
- In January 2022, he started his own telehealth business, "Green Iowa Clinic," after noticing there were no local providers offering a similar service.
- Schneiders charges $100 an appointment and says he sees about 50 patients during a busy week.
- He says he's the only local provider specifying in "medical cannabis" appointments in the state and works from his home in Urbandale.
What they're saying: "I felt bad that people were having to pay this crazy amount of money," Schneiders says. "Obviously, it was really unreasonable for just a normal person."
Flashback: The Medical Cannabidiol Board, which oversees the state's program, recommended the Legislature improve oversight of telehealth appointments in 2022.
- Nothing was passed during this last session.
Between the lines: Local family doctor consultations can be cheaper, especially with insurance, but major providers like UnityPoint and Broadlawns leave it up to the doctor's discretion to refer a patient to the state's program.
- Meanwhile, businesses like Veriheal promise Iowa patients they'll "get approved or your money back!"