testing that cost alot

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Permalink Reply by Karen L on November 7, 2009 at 11:44pm

What kinds of tests are they? There is no definitive test for ADHD but rather the professional will evaluate the patient. Many people confuse the two terms but a TEST and an EVALUATION are two DIFFERENT things. Often this evaluation takes several visits (because they have to get to know the patient) and sometimes even involves family members (more so with kids). The professional will also refer to the Diagnostic Manual IV checklists for ADHD. Evaluation shouldn't involve expensive testing. There are certain tests professionals use such as neurological tests, brain wave tests, MRI's, etc. but these are not to be used for ADHD diagnosis. These tests can be important in helping determine if there's other things going on such as learning disabilities or some other physical thing happening.

I have paid my therapist a lot of money over the course of the entire year but it took her several months to diagnose me. I do have insurance for 20 visits annually with my therapist.

In my opinion, I would be skeptical if a doctor told me I needed these other (expensive) tests in order to make a diagnosis. I wouldn't shell out that kind of money for these fancy tests anyway. The simple bottom line for me is that I have ADHD and everything else falls underneath that. I don't need some brain scan to tell me that I am not like other people. I already know that.

I suggest you get another opinion before spending that kind of money. Good luck and keep us posted. :)

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Permalink Reply by Elisa James on November 7, 2009 at 11:51pm

Thanks for that, The tests that were suggested were the kind that determine LD's and such and agreee that right now, that is the least of my worries.
I always worry I am getting scammed. I will learn more before I go that route

OUr insurance does not cover any therapist - just doctor visits.
Too bad that our insurance doesn't care for mental health better - it could save more in the long run.

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Permalink Reply by Andrea aka.."SPUNKY" on November 10, 2009 at 1:12pm

THIS PROBERLY SHOULD BE IN THE INTRODUCTION SECTION!!

My name is Andrea and I am new to this site. When I saw this "chat" , I thought that I would share with you my recent experience w/ Doctors and "their" tests. I will need to start at the beginning. Sorry it will be long winded...but that is ADHD Andrea!

When I was 52, I was into the hot flashes of menopause...sleeping 3 hours a night, memory loss, the whole sha-bang. I am not a candidate for hormone replacement, so I opted to take an anti-depressant (effexor xr ) for the flashes. Well it worked like a dream! I was good to go untill 18 months later. Then I was a huge mess. Zero memory, walking away from cooking and leaving the stove burners on, I would even be washing my hands and wiping them dry, and walking away from the sinkand the damn water is still running. Then after some time....mmmmm whats that running sound... and would I realize that I left the water on. I was also having fender benders...all under the speed of 5 miles an hour. I knew something was terribly wrong with me. I called my obgyn, and she agreed to discontinue the effexor. I chose to do this under the care of my primary care Dr. The obgyn was an hour away.

I felt like I was was going into crisis mode. I was crying a lot, memory getting worse. I was scared if I could not function then I would loose my job, my family, my husband. I kept all of this bottled up, I was ashamed. And to make things worse...I quit smoking cold turkey. Great timing to get healthy on my part!

I explained to my PC Doc about wanting to come off the Effexor and also explained that I also quit smoking. I told her that I had adhd, I had all the symptoms. She did not want to hear it. I was to remain on the effexor, in her opinion I had depression, and for her to be able treat me for adhd I needed to see another Doctor, and so she introduced me to her behaviorist associate. They both wanted me tested for ADHD. They would not listen to me or to my past history period....YOU NEED THE TEST. YOU HAVE DEPRESSION. I kept saying why a test, they did not have this test available in the past, how the heck did you evaluate a person then for adhd. Oh thats not what they wanted to hear. They just kept saying you need the test and in 3 days Andrea we will be able to treat you. In the mean time we think that the anti depressant is good for you to remain on. I kept saying I am not depressed.

That was May 11th, 09. Well after a week of waiting I was denied the ADHD testing from my insurance provider. I needed to appeal the descion of being denied..The process required a letter from my "PC Doctor's" and scheduled conference calls needed to be made. This process turned out to be weeks then months of waiting. And I was just about ready to jump off a short bridge. I felt that I going absolutely out of control. All I could think of was why didn't anyone care about me and that I was slipping away. I felt so alone, scared and I was falling deeper into a crisis.

I needed to do something so I revisited my PC Doc and said if you do not take me off of this "blank' effexor I will do it cold turkey...I won that battle. Believe me it was one of the hardest medications to come off of...Ladies do not take it for hot flashes or anything else.

As I was still waiting to find out info on the appeal I decided to call my insurance company and find out what was going on with this process myself, ...God bless the woman I had spoken to. Many times she had to listen to me try to explain what I was going through as I cried hysterically and hyperventilated through out my story. My biggest concerns were that I did not know what was happening with my case or how my doctors were representing me, and that the person for the insurance company that makes the desicions on testing did not know anything about me. This wonderful Lady told me that since I have appealed I was entitled to my entire file....and she sent it to me by overnight mail. I had it in my hot hands the next day. WOW what an eye opener....As it turned out the person for the insurance company was a psychiatrist with 2 pages of creditabilities, and his recommendations were so opposite of what my Doctors wanted me to do. He said that these tests were not necessary to determine if I had adhd. And that there were other less expensive ways to diagnose adhd. Not only that, I also found out that my Doctors missed 2 scheduled phone conferences for the appeal, plus my Doctor thought it was appropriate to advocate for me and my mental health with a one line sentence..."Andrea needs this test so I can further treat her". When I read this I saw every color in the crayola coloring box!!!!

It was now a frustrating 4 months later... August, and that short bridge was sounding really really good about now!!! But to my surprise it was recommended by the insurance's psychiatrist to be seen by an endrocrinoligist inorder to check my thyroid levels, then to go and see a qualified psychiatrist/psychoanalyst. Best advise ever!!! I followed his recommendations. Plus I took it one step further and found myself a new PC Doctor. And since I was so very angry and disappointed with the way my prior Doctors concern for me and mental health was, I desided to calmly walke into her office and in a sort of loud voice fired her ass! And with an explaination as to why. They also had a full waiting room too... This felt so good.

At present I am seeing a wonderful lady psychiatrist/psychoanalyst. No tests given. No wires hanging on my head. She also said that those tests were was so unnecessay to determine a diagnosis.

She and I just talked, and for me to be able to express what I was feeling without any judgement was the best sigh of relief I had in a very long time. By my 3rd appointment I was put on Adderal xr. And I am a totally different thinking person. I know that I still need to work on old habits and develop structure with boundries in my life. But I am good to go. My memory issues immediatly stopped. I also learnt that when a woman experienced menopause the symptoms of adhd can become exuberated. My new primary care Doctor also told me that menopause is good, for is allows us to take care of things in our lives that we have had but otherwise put off because of other reasons. I honestly feel that the testing my prior Doctors wanted me to do was a ploy for more appointments and money.

This certainly went beyond long winded,
Sorry. I guess I really needed to get it out to a group of women who would understand.
Thank you for listening,
Andrea

Elisa James said:

Thanks for that, The tests that were suggested were the kind that determine LD's and such and agreee that right now, that is the least of my worries.
I always worry I am getting scammed. I will learn more before I go that route

OUr insurance does not cover any therapist - just doctor visits.
Too bad that our insurance doesn't care for mental health better - it could save more in the long run.

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Permalink Reply by youseetherealme on November 11, 2009 at 11:54pm

Elisa: It was never suggested to me to have additional testing for ADHD. I see a Psychiatrist in Brantford and he asked me alot of questions and had me fill out a questionnaire-the adult version of the one used for kids. I had wondered for years if I had ADHD and was relieved to finally have the diagnosis. I had been told by my family doctor and 2 other Psychiatrists that it was depression and the circumstances of my life after divorce with 4 kidsand working FT. It was also my kids pediatricians-2 different ones-that had suggested that I prob have ADHD. I also bought the book by Sari Solden about women with ADHD and it helped me understand alot more about myself. I see my Dr. every month and he has me reading a manuel with worksheets called Mind Over Mood. So far-so good! He also prescribes Wellbutrin and Concerta for me which clears the "fog" from my head and I can focus better now.
Janice

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Permalink Reply by Danielle on November 17, 2009 at 8:15pm

My doctor referred me to a psychologist with a doctorates degree. Her fee for ADHD testing and other related testing (she calls it ) is $160 with one visit. She does not bill insurance. She said I will be there an hour. The price seem low and the time short, but I plan on going. She said she has 25 years of experience. I see her Friday. My son's testing was about $2,000 our insurance paid for some of it. He had ADHD/ADD and many other test.He went to a clinical neuro forensic psychologist. He wasn't breathing for an extended amount of time at birth and I requested hypoxia related memory testing. He had an IQ test, and learning disabilities testing. He had 2 days of testing crammed into all a day session because we live so far away. I wonder if it depends on how many test you are given and the title of the person you go to. I would imagine a psychiatrist would charge more or someone with more initials behind there name.

Did the family doc tell you why he suggest another psychiatrist?

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Permalink Reply by Tia Lemon on November 17, 2009 at 8:56pm

Depends on the test. $1000 sounds like a lot for ADHD evaluation. I had a computerized test once that based on my responses identified me as ADD. If it is 3 visits for an hour it's about $333 an hour. Depends on how much is involved I guess. Most evaluations are based on personal history rather than tests.

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Permalink Reply by Karen L on November 17, 2009 at 11:24pm

What exactly ARE these tests??? Everyone continually talks about "tests" but doesn't tell what the name of the "test" is or what it entails. It is my understanding (and I'm sure there are enough sources online to back me up) that there is no "test" for ADHD. A professional can "evaluate" the individual using a series of questions and interviews with the patient but there is NO TEST FOR ADHD. Any one who tells you differently is just out to suck you dry.

If someone can explain what the names of these tests are, I would be interested.

And if a psychologist doesn't take your insurance, FIND ANOTHER ONE WHO DOES!!! It's ridiculous to pay that kind of money out of pocket when the next one will bill your insurance. And actually $160/hour is not low price. I don't care how many years of experience a person has. What I want to know is their success rate, what kind of therapeutic methods do they use and most importantly, can we get along and work together? The letters after a person's name has nothing to do with the quality of care. It just says that they paid bookoo dollars at some fancy university and care more about promoting those letters than providing quality care. Sorry if I got off on a tangent but I feel you are being mislead by "someone" and it just irks me to see people being taken advantage of.

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Permalink Reply by Jo Ellen on November 18, 2009 at 1:48am

I remember years ago I had to go through a series of psychological tests in order to get a DX of ADD. I don't remember the tests names, but they involved memory tests, such as they showed me pictures of different scenes and situations. One picture I do remember it involved a woman shopping in a store. She was looking at some clothing or something. The clerk was busy doing something and there was a little boy sitting on the floor with a toy or something. They had me look at the different pictures an X amount of time and then they had me do something else for about 30 minutes and they asked what was in the pictures I looked at 30 minutes before. I guess they were trying to check my short-term memory because it was a two day test, they asked me again about what was going on in the pictures they had showed me the day before. They, also, would give me a series of numbers to repeat. The numbers got longer and longer. I can't even remember telephone numbers if someone rattles them off to me. Most of the tests, I thought we more geared to children and I felt they were demeaning. I, also, remember in the room I was being tested, I had to ask them to close the window because there was construction going on outside and it made it hard to concentrate. It was like HELLO ~ one of the many traits ADDer's have. Their conclusion from the tests, I did not fit the criteria for ADD. But, when I was in college, I went through similar testing and meet the criteria for special accommodations, such as taking test in a separate room, books on text, etc. They treated it more as a learning disability. And, they could give me medications to make it easier. Now mind you, a few years ago I went back to see a psychiatrist. Same clinic, different doctor and he just did an intake evaluation, asking questions much like those you find online. I got a prescription for Ritalin. I, also, remember the testing I was talking about in the beginning of this post costing a lot of money plus I had to pay for a psychologist to evaluation them. I don't know if things have changed that some psychiatrist are old school and think you have to be tested and then there are others more familiar w/ adult ADHD that you really don't need these tests. They can just do an evaluation by talking to you. Also, one thought is maybe the insurance requires these tests to be done before they will preauthorize treatment. My personal opinion is these tests are a waste of money and if your psychiatrist requires them; find a different doctor.

Jo Ellen

Karen L said:

What exactly ARE these tests??? Everyone continually talks about "tests" but doesn't tell what the name of the "test" is or what it entails.

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Permalink Reply by Karen L on November 18, 2009 at 8:20am

Jo Ellen - Thank you for your comments. I guess it's become a pet peeve of mine when people talk about "tests" when there really is NO TEST FOR ADHD. Individuals are EVALUATED by asking a series of questions like you mentioned. In the DSM-IV there are certain criteria that one must fit in order to have a diagnosis. Taking all these other "tests" doesn't prove anything - except that maybe you have a memory problem. :) And yes, they're expensive, a waste of money in my opinion. Or that maybe a person has a learning disability or some other biological/neurological thing going on but that doesn't tell you if you have ADHD. Thanks for your support.

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Permalink Reply by Danielle on November 18, 2009 at 5:08pm

I agree with what you said about being able to work with a psychologist, regardless of cost and title. Since my insurance doesn't pay to have adults tested, I was relieved to pay $160 for a diagnosis instead of $1000 or more. I am interested in finding out exactly what the test are. I'll ask Friday. I am sorry if I offended you.

Karen L said:

What exactly ARE these tests??? Everyone continually talks about "tests" but doesn't tell what the name of the "test" is or what it entails. It is my understanding (and I'm sure there are enough sources online to back me up) that there is no "test" for ADHD. A professional can "evaluate" the individual using a series of questions and interviews with the patient but there is NO TEST FOR ADHD. Any one who tells you differently is just out to suck you dry.

If someone can explain what the names of these tests are, I would be interested.

And if a psychologist doesn't take your insurance, FIND ANOTHER ONE WHO DOES!!! It's ridiculous to pay that kind of money out of pocket when the next one will bill your insurance. And actually $160/hour is not low price. I don't care how many years of experience a person has. What I want to know is their success rate, what kind of therapeutic methods do they use and most importantly, can we get along and work together? The letters after a person's name has nothing to do with the quality of care. It just says that they paid bookoo dollars at some fancy university and care more about promoting those letters than providing quality care. Sorry if I got off on a tangent but I feel you are being mislead by "someone" and it just irks me to see people being taken advantage of.

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Permalink Reply by Karen L on November 18, 2009 at 5:27pm

Oh gosh! You didn't offend me at all! It just irritates me that professionals say "I have to test you" when it's not the correct terminology or even the correct procedure for evaluating ADHD. So, patients are misinformed. Not your fault at all. The medical community needs to get on the same page and make sure patients understand exactly what they are doing. When professionals don't explain or use correct terminology, it makes me wonder about their abilities to diagnose me. I can understand your excitement about not having to pay $1000 or more but you shouldn't have to pay that kind of expense. In my opinion, "professionals" who charge these exorbitant fees are just out to make a buck. That's what I get upset and offended about. The fact that their patients are being taken advantage of. Lastly, if your insurance doesn't pay for ADHD evaluation for adults, chances are they may not pay for the treatment either (mine does not cover medications, which as we all know can be expensive). Just brace yourself for that. :)

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Permalink Reply by Jen on November 18, 2009 at 5:40pm

Andrea - Spunky DEFINITELY fits you!! I am cracking up after reading your response - you can definitely paint a picture w/ words! I can COMPLETELY relate to your frustration w/ trying to get diagnosed. I spent years being told that I was underachieving, then was told in college that I was suffering from depression ( by this point I WAS fed up and definitely a little depressed) etc. etc. etc. Anyway, I dropped out of school and worked for several years. When I was 29, I went back to college thinking that maybe I would be more motivated and could perform better. Well, what I discovered was that I was trying harder than ever but still not able to keep up with my assignments. I was actually diagnosed through the university, so I did go through an extensive battery of tests, but it was at a much reduced rate since it was done through the school. Anyway, I went on Strattera and Adderall and immediately saw a difference. The first semester that I took the meds, I made straight A's. Finally, I felt like I had answers about why I had struggled so terribly in school.

OK, here is where everything gets complicated. I got pregnant w/ my first child the semester before i was supposed to graduate, so i could no longer take the meds I had been taking. I survived and ended up graduating a little later than planned. Anyway, long story short, I had 2 children in about a year and a half, and between being pregnant & breastfeeding, I was off ADHD medication for almost 3 years. I actually ended up seeing the psychologist who originally made the ADHD diagnosis while I was off medication (she now is no longer w/the university & has a private practice), and COULD NOT have functioned w/out her. She was WONDERFUL!! My youngest is now 7 months, and I AM STRUGGLING! My attention span is worse than ever, and I can't follow through with ANYTHING. Unfortunately, since I am no longer in school I can't use the same drs that I used previously to prescribe my adhd meds. Since my therapist is a psychologist and not a psychiatrist, I have to work in conjunction w/ a medical doctor & what a ginormous pain that is!! I am now on my THIRD, that's right, THIRD doctor in 4 months, and they have all told me that I have post-partum depression, and that it's no wonder that I can't remember anything because of my SITUATION (2 small kids, blah, blah, blah)!!! I took Zoloft for two months and it did ABSOLUTELY nothing for my concentration, but that dr said he didn't like to prescribe Adderall - in spite of the fact that I have a written diagnosis from someone who has a lot of expertise w/ adhd & a proven record that it helped from when I took it previously. The last dr I went to, said he would be happy to put me on Strattera, but since I'm not in school, he thought I would be fine w/ just the Strattera and didn't see any point in putting me on a stimulant. I am ready to pull my hair out. YES - I am somewhat hormonal, and YES - I have a lot of situational factors that might be making me a little depressed and anxious right now, but I know good and well that if I could focus and think a little clearer, my life would be easier!! Why do so many doctors insist that we are hormonal and depressed??? I feel like no one is listening to me at all. All they see is a female who just had a baby and conclude that I must be depressed due to life and hormonal changes. It is exasperating!!

Hopefully this saga is coming to an end. Yesterday I went to a new dr and I REALLY liked her. I actually felt like she listened and heard me. I also had my psychologist send over a letter about my situation saying that I was diagnosed w/adhd FIVE years ago. So....tomorrow I'm having blood work to rule out any major physiological issue, and then hopefully I can get the right drugs and get my life back.

I actually feel better just typing this and getting it all out. Andrea, your story just struck a nerve with me because your doctor would not listen to you AND they kept telling you that you were depressed. I hope things are going well for you, and thanks for giving me the opportunity to VENT!! :-)

Andrea aka.."SPUNKY" said:

THIS PROBERLY SHOULD BE IN THE INTRODUCTION SECTION!!

My name is Andrea and I am new to this site. When I saw this "chat" , I thought that I would share with you my recent experience w/ Doctors and "their" tests. I will need to start at the beginning. Sorry it will be long winded...but that is ADHD Andrea!

When I was 52, I was into the hot flashes of menopause...sleeping 3 hours a night, memory loss, the whole sha-bang. I am not a candidate for hormone replacement, so I opted to take an anti-depressant (effexor xr ) for the flashes. Well it worked like a dream! I was good to go untill 18 months later. Then I was a huge mess. Zero memory, walking away from cooking and leaving the stove burners on, I would even be washing my hands and wiping them dry, and walking away from the sinkand the damn water is still running. Then after some time....mmmmm whats that running sound... and would I realize that I left the water on. I was also having fender benders...all under the speed of 5 miles an hour. I knew something was terribly wrong with me. I called my obgyn, and she agreed to discontinue the effexor. I chose to do this under the care of my primary care Dr. The obgyn was an hour away.

I felt like I was was going into crisis mode. I was crying a lot, memory getting worse. I was scared if I could not function then I would loose my job, my family, my husband. I kept all of this bottled up, I was ashamed. And to make things worse...I quit smoking cold turkey. Great timing to get healthy on my part!

I explained to my PC Doc about wanting to come off the Effexor and also explained that I also quit smoking. I told her that I had adhd, I had all the symptoms. She did not want to hear it. I was to remain on the effexor, in her opinion I had depression, and for her to be able treat me for adhd I needed to see another Doctor, and so she introduced me to her behaviorist associate. They both wanted me tested for ADHD. They would not listen to me or to my past history period....YOU NEED THE TEST. YOU HAVE DEPRESSION. I kept saying why a test, they did not have this test available in the past, how the heck did you evaluate a person then for adhd. Oh thats not what they wanted to hear. They just kept saying you need the test and in 3 days Andrea we will be able to treat you. In the mean time we think that the anti depressant is good for you to remain on. I kept saying I am not depressed.

That was May 11th, 09. Well after a week of waiting I was denied the ADHD testing from my insurance provider. I needed to appeal the descion of being denied..The process required a letter from my "PC Doctor's" and scheduled conference calls needed to be made. This process turned out to be weeks then months of waiting. And I was just about ready to jump off a short bridge. I felt that I going absolutely out of control. All I could think of was why didn't anyone care about me and that I was slipping away. I felt so alone, scared and I was falling deeper into a crisis.

I needed to do something so I revisited my PC Doc and said if you do not take me off of this "blank' effexor I will do it cold turkey...I won that battle. Believe me it was one of the hardest medications to come off of...Ladies do not take it for hot flashes or anything else.

As I was still waiting to find out info on the appeal I decided to call my insurance company and find out what was going on with this process myself, ...God bless the woman I had spoken to. Many times she had to listen to me try to explain what I was going through as I cried hysterically and hyperventilated through out my story. My biggest concerns were that I did not know what was happening with my case or how my doctors were representing me, and that the person for the insurance company that makes the desicions on testing did not know anything about me. This wonderful Lady told me that since I have appealed I was entitled to my entire file....and she sent it to me by overnight mail. I had it in my hot hands the next day. WOW what an eye opener....As it turned out the person for the insurance company was a psychiatrist with 2 pages of creditabilities, and his recommendations were so opposite of what my Doctors wanted me to do. He said that these tests were not necessary to determine if I had adhd. And that there were other less expensive ways to diagnose adhd. Not only that, I also found out that my Doctors missed 2 scheduled phone conferences for the appeal, plus my Doctor thought it was appropriate to advocate for me and my mental health with a one line sentence..."Andrea needs this test so I can further treat her". When I read this I saw every color in the crayola coloring box!!!!

It was now a frustrating 4 months later... August, and that short bridge was sounding really really good about now!!! But to my surprise it was recommended by the insurance's psychiatrist to be seen by an endrocrinoligist inorder to check my thyroid levels, then to go and see a qualified psychiatrist/psychoanalyst. Best advise ever!!! I followed his recommendations. Plus I took it one step further and found myself a new PC Doctor. And since I was so very angry and disappointed with the way my prior Doctors concern for me and mental health was, I desided to calmly walke into her office and in a sort of loud voice fired her ass! And with an explaination as to why. They also had a full waiting room too... This felt so good.

At present I am seeing a wonderful lady psychiatrist/psychoanalyst. No tests given. No wires hanging on my head. She also said that those tests were was so unnecessay to determine a diagnosis.

She and I just talked, and for me to be able to express what I was feeling without any judgement was the best sigh of relief I had in a very long time. By my 3rd appointment I was put on Adderal xr. And I am a totally different thinking person. I know that I still need to work on old habits and develop structure with boundries in my life. But I am good to go. My memory issues immediatly stopped. I also learnt that when a woman experienced menopause the symptoms of adhd can become exuberated. My new primary care Doctor also told me that menopause is good, for is allows us to take care of things in our lives that we have had but otherwise put off because of other reasons. I honestly feel that the testing my prior Doctors wanted me to do was a ploy for more appointments and money.

This certainly went beyond long winded,
Sorry. I guess I really needed to get it out to a group of women who would understand.
Thank you for listening,
Andrea

Elisa James said:

Thanks for that, The tests that were suggested were the kind that determine LD's and such and agreee that right now, that is the least of my worries.
I always worry I am getting scammed. I will learn more before I go that route

OUr insurance does not cover any therapist - just doctor visits.
Too bad that our insurance doesn't care for mental health better - it could save more in the long run.

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