RapImmune™
$3,500
Traditional Allergy
Shots, 5-yr OOP
$4.4-8.5k*
RapImmune™ Visits
3
SCIT visits, 5 yrs
109+
Rapimmune™ at allergenix
Intralymphatic
Immunotherapy
$3,500
Total program fee. All-inclusive. No ongoing charges
Duration
~8 weeks
Total visits
~3 visits
Insurance required?
No
Facility fees
$0
Deductible applies?
No
Surprise bills
None
Completion rate
~100% 1
Traditional SCIT via insurance
Allergy Shots
(3–5 Year Course)
$4.4–8.5K 2-5
Patient out-of-pocket over 5 years. Varies by plan type.
Duration
3-5 years
Total visits
~109+ over 5 years
Insurance required?
Yes
Facility fees
$0-108+ / visit 6
Deductible applies?
Yes, resets annually
Surprise bills
Possible
Completion rate
12-34% 3,7
Published claims data reveal costs that go far beyond the sticker price. Here's what a commercially insured patient can expect to pay out-of-pocket for a complete 5-year course of allergy shots — broken down by the numbers.
| Cost Category | PPO / HMO Plan | High-Deductible (HDHP) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per-visit copay / out-of-pocketAverage $32/visit across plan types | $40–$50/visit | Full negotiated rate until deductible met | Tkacz 2021² |
| Build-up & transition visits, Year 1~41 visits per AAAAI protocol: 1–2×/week for ~5 months, then every other week, then monthly | $1,640–$2,050 | $2,000–$3,200+ | AAAAI; Blume 2015⁴ |
| Maintenance visits, Years 2–5~17 visits/year × 4 years = 68 visits | $2,720–$3,400 | $2,176–$4,000+ | Blume 2015⁴ |
| Initial consultation & testing~20% had consultation costs >$1,000 | $100–$500 | $300–$1,000+ | Mao 2019⁵ |
| Annual deductibleAverage $1,787 individual; resets each January | Copays apply; testing subject to deductible | $2,418/yr avg — full rate until met | KFF 2024⁸ |
| Hospital facility feesApplies at hospital-owned practices only | +$0–$22/visit (patient share) | +$0–$108/visit (until deductible) | Sen 2022; Neprash 2015⁶ |
| 5-year patient OOP (direct) | $4,400–$6,000 | $5,500–$8,500+ |
* Booster injection may be given if clinically indicated.
Dollar figures tell only part of the story. Published research quantifies the enormous time burden of traditional allergy shots — time that compounds over years of treatment.
Per Visit
Total patient time per allergy shot visit — travel, wait, injection, observation 4
Work Productivity Lost
Median work productivity lost per visit (see methodology note below) 9
Ancillary cost
Average per-visit ancillary costs — parking, tolls, incidentals 9
A survey of 106 adult allergy shot patients and 191 caregivers found a median of 4 hours of work missed per injection visit. This reflects total work disruption, not literal time in the office. A mid-afternoon appointment means leaving work early, driving to the clinic, receiving the injection, completing the required 30-minute observation, and driving back — effectively losing the second half of a workday.
Traditional Allergy Shots
109+
Office visits over 5 years
~41 visits in Year 1 (build-up through monthly maintenance) + ~17 visits/year × 4 years.4 That's 118+ hours in the car, waiting room, and clinic — plus an estimated 436 hours of lost work productivity. 9
RapImmune™ at Allergenix
3
Office visits over 3 months
Three ultrasound-guided injections over ~8 weeks. All consultations, follow-ups, and physician oversight included in one transparent fee. A booster may be given if clinically indicated.
At the published national average of $29 per visit in travel costs over 109 visits, a traditional allergy shot patient spends approximately $3,161 in ancillary expenses alone — nearly matching the entire RapImmune™ program fee before a single copay. 9
Immunotherapy only works if patients complete the course. A minimum of 3 years is required for lasting benefit. The published completion rates tell a sobering story about traditional SCIT — and reveal one of RapImmune™'s most important advantages.
In a large study of 23,732 commercially insured patients, only 12.4% completed the recommended full course of allergy shots. Nearly one in four patients (23.9%) had their allergen serum mixed but never returned for a single injection — an average of $410 wasted per patient before treatment even began. 2,3
The leading reason for premature discontinuation? Insufficient insurance coverage — cited by 40% of patients who dropped out. This was not about side effects (only 1.5%) or lack of effectiveness; it was about cost and coverage barriers making continued treatment unaffordable. 10
Even in a military healthcare system where patients had zero out-of-pocket costs, only 34% completed 3+ years — demonstrating that time and inconvenience alone drive significant attrition. 7
In published ILIT clinical trials, virtually every patient completes the 3-injection protocol. When treatment takes 3 visits instead of 100+, completion is no longer a barrier to lasting results. 1
RapImmune™ Total Burden
3 visits · ~3 months · complete
SCIT total burden (5 yrs)
109+ visits · 5 years · 12% completion rate
RapImmune™ is a premium, physician-delivered intralymphatic immunotherapy (ILIT) program. Instead of repeated injections into the arm over years, small doses of allergen are placed directly into a lymph node under high-definition ultrasound guidance — targeting the immune system where tolerance is built.
The entire program consists of 3 ultrasound-guided injections over approximately 8 weeks, with all consultations, personalized lymphatic mapping, and follow-up care included in one transparent fee. A booster injection may be given if clinically indicated. Allergenix is currently the only practice in Iowa offering intralymphatic immunotherapy.
RapImmune™ is designed for patients with environmental allergies — pollen, dust mites, pets, and molds — who want rapid relief with evidence of sustained benefit in published clinical trials, without the 3–5 year commitment of traditional allergy shots.
Program fee
$3,500
All-inclusive. No hidden charges.
Total injections
3
Over ~8 weeks, ± booster if clinically indicated
Mild adverse events
98.4%
Of adverse events were mild in published ILIT trials1
ILIT is a newer immunotherapy approach that uses FDA-approved allergen extracts delivered via an off-label route (intralymphatic injection). The most comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis pooled data from 15 randomized trials involving 582 patients; cumulative enrollment across published ILIT trials is now estimated at ~800 participants. 1 The evidence base is smaller and more recent than for traditional allergy shots, which have been studied for over a century. RapImmune™ uses only FDA-approved allergen extracts. Dr. Stanga discusses the clinical evidence, expected outcomes, and limitations of both approaches during every consultation so patients can make a fully informed decision.
Schedule a consultation to discuss whether intralymphatic immunotherapy is right for your allergy profile. No referral needed. No insurance required.
References & Methodology
Data presented are derived from peer-reviewed publications and national survey data as cited. Cost estimates represent ranges based on published averages and may not reflect individual patient circumstances. Allergenix operates as a direct specialty care practice under Iowa Code 135N. Charges are not processed through insurance. RapImmune™ is a trademark of Allergenix, PC. This page is for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice. Treatment decisions should be made in consultation with a qualified physician. Individual results and costs may vary.