Where the $3,500 number comes from
In November 2020, John Hill of FairWarning, publishing through the Investigative Reporting Workshop, looked at what patients were paying for decompression. A full course of DRX9000 sessions ran about $3,500. Insurers generally wouldn't cover it. Neither would Medicare.
Two cautions before you anchor on that. It's a national figure, not a Salt Lake City one, and as of September 2026 it's six years old, so read it as a sense of scale rather than a quote.
The same report quoted Richard Deyo, professor emeritus at Oregon Health & Science University: “the best evidence suggests there's not much of an advantage of these things.” That's an odd line to find on a site built for a clinic that offers decompression. It's here because a price without that context wouldn't be honest.
Why it's usually out of pocket
Because the payers that publish their reasoning have read the evidence and said no.
- Medicare settled the question early: National Coverage Determination 160.16, effective April 15, 1997, says the scientific data don't support the technique.
- Aetna labels it experimental, investigational or unproven in Clinical Policy Bulletin 0180, names the DRX9000, and last reviewed that position in March 2026.
- University of Utah Health Plans calls it investigational in policy MP-053, revised December 18, 2025, and its Medicaid plans, Healthy U and Health Choice Utah, don't cover it either.
Aetna's bulletin lists the per-session code, HCPCS S9090, as not covered. CPT 97012, mechanical traction, shows up there too as a related code. Don't let anyone present 97012 as a route around a denial; a clinic that does is telling you something about how it bills.
Paying out of pocket doesn't have to mean after-tax dollars: IRS Publication 502 counts chiropractor fees as a medical expense, which is the category HSA and FSA money is for, so cash, card, HSA and FSA are all normal ways to settle a decompression bill. Your administrator still decides, so keep the itemized receipt.
What about your own plan? We couldn't find a published SelectHealth policy, which is a gap and not an answer. How to check any plan in writing is on does insurance cover spinal decompression in Utah.
What the price actually buys
A decompression quote bundles three things, whether or not they're itemized.
The exam. A history, an orthopedic exam and a look at relevant imaging. It's the part that decides whether anything else should happen.
The sessions. At Mecham Chiropractic a plan usually means 20 to 30 visits over 8 to 12 weeks, each about 20 to 30 minutes on the DRX9000 table. WebMD's medically reviewed article describes 20 to 28 treatments over 5 to 7 weeks instead, so two quotes can differ simply because they're pricing different session counts.
The supporting care. Decompression doesn't run solo here; it sits inside a plan with chiropractic care and guidance on position and movement. Ask whether a quote includes that or bills it on top.
How to compare two decompression quotes
Say you're holding two numbers, one from a clinic near your office and one closer to home. Don't compare the totals first.
Compare what each asks you to commit before anyone knows whether it's working.
| The moment | Prepaid package | Pay as you go |
|---|---|---|
| When you pay | Most or all of the course, up front | Visit by visit, or in short blocks |
| No real change by treatments 8 to 12 | Depends on the refund terms, so read them | You stop paying when you stop |
| The exam says you're not a candidate | Should cost only the exam; confirm that | Should cost only the exam |
The middle row matters most. Mecham Chiropractic reconsiders a plan when treatments 8 to 12 pass without meaningful improvement, and in a plan of 20 to 30 visits, anywhere from a third to two-thirds of the sessions sit after that decision point.
Prepaying for those later visits is a bit like buying a full season pass at Snowbird in October, before your knee has done a single run. Sometimes it works out. But that's a risk a package quietly hands to you.
Then check the bottom row. People with fusion hardware, a spinal fracture, active cancer affecting the spine, pregnancy or an aortic aneurysm aren't put on the table at Mecham Chiropractic. Neither is pain from a facet joint, the sacroiliac joint or a strained muscle; the table is meant for a herniated disc or disc-driven sciatica. If a clinic sells you a package before examining you, ask how it knows you qualify.
Questions to ask before you pay for a package
Keep these on your phone for the call.
- Is the exam included, and what does it cost if I turn out not to be a candidate?
- How many sessions does this price assume, and how long is each one?
- What happens to my money if nothing meaningful has changed by treatment 8 to 12?
- Is chiropractic care or other supporting treatment included, or billed separately?
- Which billing code will you use, and have you checked it against my plan?
- Where did any success figure on your website come from?
A clinic that answers all six without flinching has earned a closer look. Vagueness on the third one tells you plenty.
Why a success-figure question on a cost page? Because a percentage with no study behind it is part of what's being sold. Our reading of the actual research is on does spinal decompression work, and the plan itself is laid out on what to expect from spinal decompression.
What Mecham Chiropractic charges
We haven't published a price. We'd rather tell you why than fill the gap with a range we can't source.
Mecham Chiropractic prices a decompression plan after the exam. By then Dr. Cody Mecham knows whether you're a candidate, how many sessions the plan should assume and what supporting care belongs in it; before that, any number would be a guess dressed up as a quote. Call (801) 590-8615 or book the exam online, and ask what the exam itself costs.
It's a fair first question.