For those who have done neuropsychologist testing

Anxworrier

New Member
Did you do it thru school or privately? If private, what could I expect cost wise? are we talking 100s or 1000s?

im hoping school can and will agree to testing but if they don't??

i gave difficult child's teachers the questionnaire to fill out and only one of the three answered in the 2s and 3s to indicate Inattentiveness problems. I am hoping the doctor will weigh my answers heavily as I am the mom...been dealing his whole life.

difficult child is almost 13 and he can be funny happy and nice much of the time, but school work is a brick wall to pound thru. I don't even know if he would cooperate with evaluation??
 
T

TeDo

Guest
A neuropsychologist evaluation is strictly private. We are on Medicaid and they paid 100% of the bill. If you don't have insurance, the cost will more than likely be thousands. If you have other insurance, it will vary. If you can tell us what state you are in, someone might be able to steer you toward a good one. The school will not do anything they don't HAVE to do.
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
Even IF school agrees to and does testing, it will never be comprehensive.
To get an objective evaluation, you need to get it done on your own... if possible in addition to whatever the school does.
 

EStephens

New Member
My difficult child had a neuropsychologist evaluation and insurance didn't cover it because the doctor wasn't covered through the kids insurance. It ran about 2000. Which hoovered, but the test result helped us start life with a diagnosis.
 

Wiped Out

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Schools will rarely pay for it and if they do, my guess is it would be greatly watered down. We were lucky to have insurance and Medicaid for difficult child so I actually do not know the cost. It was very helpful in understanding difficult child better.
 

DDD

Well-Known Member
Our N/P were done by a testing center almost three hours away at the recommendation of the school because I said I wanted the best. The school paid what the insurance company did not. It was very helpful. Good luck. DDD
 
i am the one that did a combination of school+private neuropsychologist testing because insurance (BC/BS, not some small company) didnt cover any of it with the exception of the connors computerized test)

it was fine.

in hindsight even thought it all worked out, the only thing i would have done differently was find a neuropsychologist that was really good with kids, subtle issue and multiple diagnosis issues (i have no idea if such a creature exists!) and go from there.

the other thing we did was that we got involved in a clinical study with a childrens hospital--the reason we zero'd in on the particular study was because they provided a thorough neuropsychologist evaluation at no cost....and in my opinion, THAT was the way to go for us. we got a complete report which was actually useful. we were kicked out immediately afterward, lol, because she didnt qualify, ROFL...

so thats a thought for you too....just google clinical studies+closest kids hospital
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
I think $2000 sounds about right. Some of it was covered, but as pointed out by Confuzzled, the education part is not covered.
No matter what, it is worth it to have it done. Ask it you can break it into 4 payments or something if you don't have ins.
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
Private. I'd never trust the school to do it properly. The price range others have stated sounds about right. Our insurance covered it, so for us it wasn't a problem.
 
B

Bunny

Guest
We actually just finished neuropsyche testing for easy child. When I called my insurance company to ask if they would cover it their answer was it would depend on what, if anything, the doctor uncovered. If they found something medically wrong (their example was epilepsy) they would pay for it. If they didn't find something "medical", then they said that they considered the testing unnecessary and would not cover it. The doctor who did easy child's testing said that they would try to write up any diagnosis so that the testing could be deemed "medically necessary". Otherwise, he said the testing would be around $2,000.00.
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
Bunny, the fact that it's "neuro" psychiatric makes it ALL medical. They are so full of @**%!
Just had to say that ...
 
terry, not really. some testing is really of an educational nature...not neurological. what bunny was told is true of many private insurances--they will only cover things that are related to a medical diagnosis. it may be easier to get it covered if you are looking at a stroke victim or a brain injury or something with a medical basis--often if you are looking for a learning disability it can be pretty tough to convince an ins. co. to pay--its really the schools responsibility, Know what I mean??.

another route to a thorough evaluation can sometimes be to let the school evaluate--disagree and request an independent educational evaluation with specific suspected areas of testing needed--the school is obligated to pay and it may be more objective.

but if one was looking at, say, a suspected Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) or mini stroke or something like that, then a letter of medical necessity from a dr may take care of the insurance issue if it isnt automatic...as those would be medical issues.

it can be cost prohibitive for those whos ins. doesnt cover it.
 
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