Since opening Prime IV in April 2025, Meinholz has seen growth in local popularity for hydration treatment.<\/p>\n
Madison currently has four businesses dedicated to IV therapy, including Badger State Hydrate<\/a>, Hydralive Therapy Madison<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Drip Hydration<\/a>.\u00a0When a new franchise location of Hydrate IV Bar<\/a> opens on Madison Yards Way in February, that number will grow to five. These proponents of on-demand IV therapy say it can yield results for athletes, jet-lagged travelers and more \u2014 sometimes, at a rate that\u2019s more affordable than a similar treatment in a medical setting.\u00a0<\/p>\n Shahayra Majumder, the co-owner of Hydrate IV Bar\u2019s forthcoming Madison location, aims to make health care more accessible by opening a local franchise of a business that distributes IV therapy.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the major motivating factors for me in starting this business is to make it easier to get an IV \u2014 to get access to rapid hydration \u2014 and not need to pay that huge ER bill or go to an urgent care and then deal with the [hassle of] insurance filing,\u201d Majumder says.<\/p>\n To simplify the process and create equal access, Hydrate IV Bar doesn\u2019t plan to accept insurance. Instead, the IV bar will charge a flat fee for each treatment, with prices for a 45-minute infusion ranging from $129 to $259.<\/p>\n At Ascension, a hospital chain with 165 locations in Wisconsin, the estimated cost for an IV without insurance is nearly double Hydrate IV Bar\u2019s most expensive option. For an infusion that lasts under an hour to treat dehydration, the average cost at a Wisconsin Ascension hospital is $440.<\/p>\n Even Hydrate IV Bar\u2019s rates of $100-300 might seem like a steep price to pay for a hangover cure \u2014 after all, plenty of people achieve similar results with Advil and a bottle of water. But Majumder emphasizes that there are many other purported uses for IV therapy.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cPeople often think about IV as being great for a hangover cure \u2014 which it is great for \u2014 but it goes so much further than that,\u201d Majumder says, adding that Hydrate IV Bar also offers treatments aimed at boosting immunity, aiding muscle recovery and reducing jet lag.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to Meinholz, the majority of Prime IV’s clients are using IV therapy for benefits other than curing hangovers.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cMost of our clients are coming in for other reasons: general health and wellness, immunity, anti-aging, hormone support, weight loss etc.,\u201d Meinholz says.<\/p>\n Madison has a growing wellness scene and a focus on sports and fitness that Majumder says makes the city a natural fit for another IV therapy location. She also notes the extensive travel schedules of many Epic Systems employees, which can create the deficiencies that IV therapy purports to treat, as a contributing factor.\u200b<\/p>\n Scientific evidence supporting the benefits of IV therapy is currently limited, but a 2025 study from the National Library of Medicine<\/a> notes that IV therapy shows promising clinical benefits for medical needs such as nutrient deficiencies, malabsorption syndromes and severe dehydration.<\/p>\n Lily Spanbauer is an editorial intern at Madison Magazine.<\/p>\n \u200bCOPYRIGHT 2025 BY MADISON MAGAZINE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.<\/p>\n