We want you to know exactly how ADHD care works at Hope Behavioral Medicine before you schedule, including the cost. Here is the whole process.
Step 1: ADHD testing, if you have not been formally evaluated
If you have not completed a formal ADHD evaluation or testing in the past, testing is required before ADHD treatment can begin. The testing is a separate computerized assessment of the three core symptoms of ADHD: attention, activity and impulsivity. It is completed online as part of your evaluation, usually before your virtual visit with your provider, on a third-party, web-based, FDA-cleared ADHD assessment platform. It gives your provider objective data from validated testing to aid the diagnosis, but on its own it is not enough to diagnose ADHD.
What testing costs
ADHD testing is self-pay and is not covered by insurance at our practice. Our front desk will tell you the current cost when you schedule. The fee covers the testing only, not your visits with your provider.
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In-person in West Ashley or telehealth statewide across South Carolina.
Step 2: Your evaluation with a provider
Your evaluation is a separate appointment. At your virtual visit, your provider goes over the results with you and evaluates you, looking at symptom criteria, your history, how symptoms affect your life, and symptoms across settings, supported by interviews and rating scales. The testing adds information to that assessment: high scores in all three areas do not automatically mean combined-type ADHD, and normal activity during testing does not rule ADHD out. Your provider then discusses treatment recommendations with you. If you have insurance, your initial virtual evaluation and follow-up visits may be billed to your plan according to your benefits.
Step 3: A treatment plan built with you
Treatment is personalized and can include medication when clinically appropriate, counseling for organization, coping strategies and daily functioning, and regular follow-up. Decisions are made after the full evaluation, never at a first phone call.
Why we work this way
Many conditions look like ADHD. Testing adds objective information, and a thorough evaluation brings it together with your history, so the diagnosis and treatment fit you.
Request an ADHD evaluation. Choose ADHD as your reason for visit, and we will confirm whether you need testing and help you schedule both steps.
This article is general health information and does not replace advice from your own provider.
Frequently Asked Questions
At Hope Behavioral Medicine, ADHD testing is self-pay and not covered by insurance. Your separate evaluation and follow-up visits with your provider may be billed to your insurance according to your plan benefits.
Our front desk will tell you the current self-pay cost when you schedule. The fee is for the computerized testing only, not for your visits with your provider.
Not if you have never had a formal ADHD evaluation. Testing is required before ADHD treatment begins, so your provider has objective information alongside a full clinical evaluation.