$4500 for an AS Diagnosis?!?!?

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At the private clinic where I had mine done in Toronto (not subsidized by OHIP), the going rate is $1500 CAD for a full day assessment, and $750 CAD for a half day. The pre-diagnosis screening lasts 2 hours and costs $250. In my case, the screeners recommended a half day assessment. The total cost of my diagnosis was $1000 CAD - I footed the $250, my parents footed the $750.

Four thousand dollars sounds WAY too high.

Yeah, I did, after paying a certain amount (I can't remember what it was, but quite a lot); I got something like a 90% rebate, but it was after I'd paid upfront, so I had to have the money. I still owe the psychiatrist money because of it, but he's understanding about it.

Mine was free because I am both a student and employee of the university I had access to the counseling and testing center. After I was diagnosed by the center, I was referred to a psychologist in the area that works with lost of aspies. I pay a $20 co-pay each time I visit him.

You can't negate the future insurance risk by paying for it yourself. Now, I haven't studied how the new health reform laws will affect this but, in the past, you had to disclose absolutely everything when you applied for private insurance, and give complete access to all your medical records. If you did not, when you got sick, if they found out about the missed disclosure, no matter how irrelevant it might be to the new illness, they would kick you out of the plan. The way around this has been to get automatic coverage under group insurance, in which case you are covered with the group in most cases, without any disclosure requirements.

My diagnosis cost me a $20.00 and seven hours of my time and now I can say with pride I am offically autistic and my place on the spectrum is Aspergers.

I am usually very pro-diagnosis, for all sorts of reasons. But if your have reached 38 and don't have any issues that a diagnosis will help you deal with (like welfare, education support or employment protection), then I think you need to decide what purpose it would serve - there are plenty of tests and books that you can learn from. And $4,500 is a lot of money - how about going to Myanmar / Burma now that the opposition embargo on tourism has been lifted?

$4,500 is a ridiculous charge. The range of costs I see run between about $800 and $1,200, and are never fixed because some people are easy to diagnose, others require more effort and interviews with family or record searches.

Not sure.

Remember that NYC has over 50% income taxation from all sources. Hence, prices are higher so people can make a living. Also, NYC has a high cost of living. Perhaps you should see about getting a Dx from someplace outside of NYC or even NY state.

My diagnostic testing cost about $2500 a few years ago from a specialist who is supposedly one of the best in the tri-state area. Overall, it was worth it to me personally, but it was a bit of a hardship financially at the time since I had to pay out-of-pocket.

I notice you are in NYC, OP. If you do consider going through with the testing, maybe you could consider coming down to PA to get it done? It would be a heck of a drive, but you would save a decent amount of money. Her website is www.margaretkay.com

I lived in Philadelphia for three years about a decade ago, so I'm definitely comfortable "coming down to PA." In fact, I spoke to Robert Naseef (who writes a column here now) this morning. He is the co-founder of "Alternative Choices" in Philadelphia, and one of his specialties is adult Asperger's. His charge for what he called a "confirmatory diagnosis" is $1500. I'm not precisely sure what he meant by "confirmatory," but I think it might have had something to do with my AQ Test score, which I told him. I don't think I'm going to get an entire battery of tests over days and days for that amount; but I'm not so sure that that's what I want. He was wonderful on the phone, and again, I'm comfortable going to Philadelphia for this. Price is (comparatively) reasonable. So, I may have found a solution. He likely can't see me until early 2011, but maybe I just have to be patient. I will look into your specialist as well.

Heck of a drive? Unlike a lot of Aspies, I LOVE to drive. Endlessly. The last time I took a vacation, I started way up in British Columbia north of Vancouver and drove to Phoenix! 2 weeks and a few thousand miles. All alone, and ate every meal at Denny's. Everyone thought it was the most bizarre thing they had ever heard, but I was perfectly comfortable

Thanks for your advice and a promising lead.

My initial and official diagnoses were made by a psychologist, psychiatrist and by Social Security.

I was given a list of doctors by autistic services here in Buffalo the list also contained a couple NY City doctors.

Dr. James Lawrence Thomas
19 West 34th street - Penthouse
(212) 268-8900 (voice mail)
[email protected]
For a neuropsychological evaluation $2,500 - 3,000

Dr. Richard F. Heath
Rye Ridge Plaza
Suite 228
Rye Brook, NY 10573
(914) 253-9190 (Answering Service)
[email protected]
Cost per Session: Varies

Buffalo area
Dr. Michael P. Santa Maria Ph.D
DeGraff Hospital
445 Tremont St.
Suite 323
North Tonawanda, NY 14120
(716) 690-2560
Cost for evaluation: $1,100.00
He tested me on a Friday and gave me my results on the following Monday.

I would never go to a free doctor. They probably have to rush the results and the exam so they can service the next patient.

Good news

Thanks for the leads!

It's a different situation here in The Netherlands, we have a mandatory health insurance system in which diagnosis of autism is fully covered by law. It all falls under social laws made around 1967 called AWBZ (Short for Algemene Wet Bijzondere Ziektekosten, translated General Law Special Healthcosts).

There are many practitioners who can diagnose autism, no rush because there is no pressure on making profit. They do work in thigh time schedules.

Mine was totally free - money wasn't mentioned in any instance. But I wonder, what's the point of paying for a diagnosis? (Even if it wasn't so incredibly expensive as quoted above.) And if you happen to want to be diagnosed for benefits - what's the point in the first place, if you have so much money to spend anyway? A diagnosis is also usually not a positive thing... so how on Earth do people want to be diagnosed? (And curiosity, even though it may be a factor, doesn't feel that important to spend so much money on.)