ADHD exam scam?

[Anonymous]

I was to finally get examined for ADHD today. (I am 45 years old)

I cancelled my appointment because I felt something was wrong.

My doctor was only going to see me once for 45 minutes.

This could not possibly be enough time, right?

Plus he wanted all my non-covered insurance money before the appointment ($370.00) started.

plus he did not ask me to bring anything (old school records) or do any pre-exam tests, just general back ground info.

My insurance only pays for one exam so it is an all or nothing for me.

A different Dr. I almost went to wanted to see me for 3-4 hours. He was a psychologist, but I passed and switched to the above Dr. who is a psychiatrist. I passed on the psychologist because he could not prescribe medication, that is why I went for the psychiatrist. Now I think I made a mistake.

I need to make the right choice.

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[Anonymous]

I don’t think it’s unusual to ask for $ up front. I had to pay upfront as well, a lot more than that, but it was for computer testing and a lengthy questionnaire. The assessment for this particular individual (psychiatrist who specializes in adult ADHD) is three sessions of approximately 1 hour each and the office visits with him are covered by a provincial health care plan.

I had to bring in old report cards, photos of my living space, and my husband for one of the appointments (he did a questionnaire while I was doing a computer test and he was in the initial interview to corroborate or disagree with anything I said, he’s also welcome at the last appointment which is the feedback appointment).

The reason my doctor suggested this person as opposed to a hospital psychological assessment is that he will diagnose any co-morbidities as well as give her a treatment plan for meds etc. My doc is not at all versed in ADHD but she will treat me if she has a proper diagnosis in hand.

I already see a psychologist but he’s not able to prescribe meds or diagnose ADHD.

Ask yourself – what are the qualifications of this person? Are they specialists in ADHD? Will they see you throughout treatment or are they just giving you a diagnosis (mine is diagnosis only)? What does your doctor want from you to oversee your treatment?

You were right to cancel but now you need to ask more questions before booking again.

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[Anonymous]

thank you so much.

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[Anonymous]

I’m not saying that this is the norm for a diagnostic consultation. Others might have had a different experience.

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[Anonymous]

I had about the same experience as no_dopamine. Doctors are self-employed and have expenses the same as everyone else. I don’t begrudge having to pay upfront. When I think about how some of us are, it’s probably best if the money happens up front.

I went with a psychiatrist because they could prescribe meds. My family doctor initially was willing to give me meds but then pulled the prescriptions when she blew the diagnosis on another major medical issue. I lived, and no, it’s not the way Dr. Levy would recommend we try to lose weight.

Vegancook, you don’t mention which side of the border you are on. Once you see the psychiatrist and he deems that you need treatment/medication, doesn’t your plan continue with coverage? My guy sees me now to continue with follow-up and med. renewal and it’s all covered by the province because I’m now his patient.

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[Anonymous]

I live in USA Oregon.

After the exam I get 4 follow up medication evaluations.

thanks.

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[BuxomDiva]

oh zsazsa have you seen Dr. Levy? that’s on my to-do list – I really have to take control of my weight issues – I was lucky enough that all my testing was part of office visits and was covered by OHIP – a certain well-known ADHD specialist with a practice north of Toronto is famous for charging a ridiculous sum of money to do all the same tests – I saw Dr. J. post elsewhere in this forum that because so few doctors specialize in adult ADHD those who do can get away with charging a LOT for the paperwork which is not, strictly speaking, covered by our provincial health care plan – I think because of the way CAMH structures the testing/office visits it does get paid for by the province

and I had to bring in my mother to talk about my childhood – I was over 40 at the time

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[Anonymous]

BuxomDiva, I assume you’re directing this to me: What is ridiculous if you get a proper diagnosis? I don’t mind paying for someone’s professional services. It’s between the doctor and patient, I don’t have to pay it if I can’t, or feel it’s unreasonable. It’s a personal decision and I’m quite comfortable with it.

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[BuxomDiva]

You should be able to get a proper diagnosis WITHOUT paying a huge fee! That’s what publicly funded healthcare means. I didn’t pay anything for my testing and diagnosis, and my doctor is the best in the country.

I’m on ODSP, so if I were shopping for a diagnosis now I would be S.O.L if the only “expert” in my area was charging for the testing.

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[Anonymous]

Glad you got a good diagnosis. I am happy with who I’m seeing (I won’t get into an argument about whose doc is the best and where, since I am not an expert on ADD specialists), and the $$ is irrelevant to me. I could have waited and seen a less competent person and paid nothing, but as a business person, time is money to me and I am willing to pay. ‘Nuff said, really. It’s my own choice.

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[Anonymous]

We paid a lot for my son’s appointment, though it was part covered by heath insurance. I got an assessment within 2 weeks, rather than having to wait for months to go through the public health system. Considering his issues at school (they were considering dropping him from a specialist performing arts program due to poor grades, failure to complete work, and general disorganisation) it was well worth the money to get him seen to as quick as possible.

That said, his assessment was two 2 hour appointments – one for testing and history, and one for discussing the results. It was through a psychologist. We now have an appointment with a paediatrician to discuss meds, and that’s an hour appointment that we had to wait 4-5 weeks for. But for now we have a diagnosis and school is aware, so his special entry place is safe for now, while supports are set up and he can prove himself within more suitable framework.

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[Anonymous]

I’m not actually done with appointments, this week was supposed to be the feedback appointment (after two previous ones, including testing), but since I have some sleep issues, both the ADD psych and my doc want a sleep study before they’ll do anything. Although the psych said it’s definitely ADD, he won’t be doing the final report yet, which is what my doc needs to go forward with treatment. The future office visits with the psych are all covered under provincial health insurance.

KrazyKat, that’s fast! and I’ll be your son is relieved to know he’s still in the program. I can relate as a former undergraduate music student (hons in performance) – nobody knew at that time that I had ADD so I never completed studies. I’m not complaining, as I had a pretty interesting life, but I had no clear direction and was pretty much on my own.

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[Curlymoe115]

I don’t know what province you are in KrazyKat but when we lived in Ontario (London), pigpen was seen at the Learning Clinic to monitor progress and to individualize her learning plan. They also conducted their own testing even with a report from a Alberta psychologist because they felt that it was better to start fresh. When she was first assessed in Alberta (Red Deer) her assessments for learning disabilities was done by a School Board hired Psychologist. He administered the testing that proved that she had a learning disability that needed accommodation. Every school board and province is different but they all usually have something in place to tailor the learning process to their individual strengths. Pigpen was reading at a grade 12 level by grade 5 but she struggled with even the easiest math concepts. Her impulsiveness made it hard for her to finish work because she was being rewarded for incomplete work with extra computer time for fast, no necessarily right or thorough. All of her accommodations were written down on her IEP (Individualized Education Plan) and they follow her in her file. They also help set targets for tailoring the work to her.

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[Anonymous]

I am in Australia! So a totally different kettle of fish in some ways. We did have our son assessed through the school system when he was in year 4, but they found nothing. I think they were looking specifically for learning disorders, rather than other disorders such as ADHD and autism. I recall the report mentioning organisation and motivation, and it certainly highlighted his “high average” intelligence, which made it all the more frustrating to discover there was nothing wrong according to their assessment. I cannot find the report to look back on it though – it seems to have made its way into one of my very numerous “piles” instead of the filing cabinet Unless I have given it to someone to read and forgotten about it. That’ll teach me!! A copy would be in his education system file though, so it is not a complete loss.

I have the feeling that the paediatrician we are going to see will probably do some more testing, or at least gather an extensive history in order to confirm the diagnosis. I would expect that of someone with his reputation, especially considering the appointment is for an hour. I am sort of glad that we have both a paediatrician and a psychologist “on board”, at the moment, as they both have their own areas of expertise. The psychologist has set us up with a suitable tutor (who specialises in ADHD and has it herself) and has given us some management tips, and the paediatrician can rule out medical causes, sort out medication, and arrange for any other medical testing such as a sleep study, should he feel it necessary.

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