Cost of getting diagnosed

Post Reply New Topic

Hi

I am 90% sure I have some sort of ASD related ability (I fail to acknowledge it as a disability) and I want to get it diagnosed/checked. How much does it cost to get it diagnosed on average ?

Depends. Didn't cost me anything. But if you don't have anything you recognize as a disability, you may not fit enough criteria to be diagnosed.

Last edited by Willard on 07 Jun 2010, 6:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Where I live the standard quote seems to be $2000. But there may be niche situations where it could be done cheaper. I remember one person getting a quicky/cheap assessment at their university health clinic, due to asking for accommodations regarding note-taking (or something like that). Some go through Vocational Rehab, but I'm not familiar with that.

You might want to think over getting a psychiatric diagnosis if you don't need it for a specific reason, though. It is a pre-existing health condition with some health insurers, there are stories of people being put at risk of losing their kids, and read up on Maxine Aston in case you think you might ever be divorced (it'll all be your fault, according to her, and she argues that people with AS are less fit parent for custody).

It probably depends on whether you go through private or public services. For me, I got diagnosed for free through the community mental health center because it was discovered that I have AS when I was being treated for depression. However if you went privately you could end up paying $100's for various tests and simply get charged for turning up to the appointment. I'm not sure how much specifically, it's just what I was told.

No one should pay that much unless their future depends on it and even then, there's alternatives.

Same here. I didn't spend any money for a diagnosis.

From your previous post, AliG, I was under the impression that you didn't need a diagnosis. Unless you left out the excruciating life details that made you wonder what the hell was wrong with you and when your alien parents were going to come rescue you, or I missed something, then I don't see a dire need for a diagnosis.

I can understand wanting to satisfy a curiosity, and also not wanting to "self-diagnose", but there isn't anything wrong living with a suspicion. I suspect that I have an APD, but it isn't significant enough to make my life difficult. It is just annoying. No diagnosis required unless I needed it to get it treated. I can talk about my suspicion, with my family or maybe an employer, to get specific arrangements made. Like maybe with an employer, request a quieter working area due to noise being too distracting.

If you really need the diagnosis, for help, then go for it.

Well, I agree that no one should have to come up with $2000 or be screwed. When I'd lost the ability to work due to cognitive problems and was looking at ending up homeless no one directed me to any cheaper alternatives for a neuropsych assessment. I finally managed to find one for $1200, but that professional had no knowledge of ASC's, so I could only get assessed for the cognitive dysfunction. I'm glad people find other alternatives, but IME, I've never seen a free psych assessment anywhere.

The cost can very depending on different factors like having insurance that would cover testing, your income & your parents income if you still live with em. A medical school, college or special charity type group mite be willing to help on a sliding scale. When I had my testing done about 6/7 years ago; I had to see a private doc. He needed a referral from my psych for testing before he would schedule an appointment(if your seeing any docs regularly or have a General Practitioner; talk to em about it) I asked for the price when I made my appointment & I had to pay some money upfront(my insurance would not cover any of it) & they sent me a bill latter for a bit more than the quoted amount. After a bit of arguing they lowered my bill some but it was still a bit more than the price I was quoted. I think it cost me about five thousand total. You mite not have the problem but it may be good to look around a bit before having it done if cost is an issue

Well, mine was free as far as i know.
My dad was in the military 20 years, so pretty much all, or alot, of my medical/mental health/psychiatric/whatever etc. expenses are covered under Tricare medical insurance 'til i'm 21 .

however, since he's retired now, i'm not sure if i still got full coverage on dental

I was once quoted 4 thousand dollars. But my current psychiatric people under my medicaid won't access me, and they said there is no reason for me to seek out a dx. But a university where I live does have a sliding fee I found out, it's just that my bipolar is serious enough and they keep telling me I don't need to make my dx worse.

It cost me $600 from an AS specialist (a clinical psychologist who only sees and treats people with AS). If I had wanted an official, written diagnosis from her it would have been an additional $600.

My assessment is being done through a university psych clinic and is costing me $300 because it's on a sliding scale.

I am across the atlantic (in England) and here it seems only Queen Elizabeth can afford private health care. Public health care is free but diagnosis for AS is not, at least it is subsidised. A GP must first authorise my referral if I follow the proper channels and dont just go into a psycological clinic.

Fo-Rum it is highly unlikely that I dont have any ASD related condition and I dont care if I have it. What bothers me is that I am socially confused and many times appear inappropriate to others. My emotional abilities are poor and I just want to get it over with as self diagnosis feels that I have lied to myself which doesnt register well with my inner being (if there is such a thing).

What's a sliding fee?

Some of my friends have been trying to convince me to get diagnosed, but I'm pretty sure there's no way I could afford it.

There is this place near me called MOKA, but I don't know exactly what they can do for me, and I'm too chicken to call and ask

http://moka.org/

It's when you're charged according to how much money you make. So someone who makes $30,000 a year would be charged less than someone who makes $80,000 for the same services. They do it to try to make certain things accessible to those with a lower income.

I am going to a psychiatrist at the end of June. Not sure if he can diagnose, but I intend to ask him about if he can't. I hope that it will not cost hundreds or thousands of dollars because I would like to argue for some extra assistance from services like the employment office due to having a disability.