What an ADHD evaluation costs in Michigan — and why the range is so wide

By Mohamed Mohamed, PMHNP-BC · Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner · Last updated August 21, 2026

If you have searched for what an ADHD evaluation costs, you have probably found numbers ranging from about $150 to well over $4,000 — with very little explanation of why. The range is real. It exists because “ADHD evaluation” describes several different things.

Here is what actually drives the price, what each version includes, and how to work out which one you need before you spend anything.

The short answer

Published self-pay figures across the United States in 2026 fall roughly into four bands:

Those bands are not four prices for the same product. They are four different products.

What you are actually buying

A clinical evaluation

A structured diagnostic interview with a prescriber — a psychiatrist or a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. It covers developmental and psychiatric history, current symptoms across settings, medical review, and standardized rating scales completed by you and, for a child, by parents and teachers. It produces a diagnosis, a differential, and a treatment plan. If medication is appropriate, this is the person who can prescribe it.

For most people asking “do I have ADHD, and what do I do about it,” this is the evaluation that answers the question.

Psychological or neuropsychological testing

A much longer battery administered by a psychologist or neuropsychologist — cognitive testing, attention and executive-function measures, sometimes academic achievement testing. It can take six to ten hours across multiple sessions and produces a detailed written report.

This is genuinely valuable, and it is the right choice in specific situations:

• A suspected learning disability alongside the attention problem
• A confusing picture where several conditions overlap and need untangling
• A school, university, or testing body that requires formal psychometric documentation
• Cognitive change after a head injury, illness, or in later life

It is not, however, required to diagnose ADHD. That is worth saying plainly, because the price difference is several thousand dollars and many people assume the expensive version is the “real” one. Psychologists cannot prescribe in Michigan, so a testing report often still ends with a referral to a prescriber — which is a second appointment and a second fee.

Why the same service costs different amounts

Four things move the number, and none of them is quality:

• Time. A 90-minute evaluation costs more than a 20-minute one. This is the single largest driver, and the one most worth paying for.
• Who performs it. Neuropsychologist, psychologist, psychiatrist, psychiatric nurse practitioner — different training, different rates.
• What is bundled. Some practices charge separately for rating scales, for the feedback session where you are told the results, and for the written report. Others include them. Two practices quoting the same headline number can end up hundreds of dollars apart.
• Whether they bill insurance. In-network practices are paid a negotiated rate and you pay a copay. Out-of-network practices set their own fee and you pay it directly, then claim back if your plan has out-of-network benefits.

The insurance question, honestly

If you have in-network mental health coverage and a provider with availability, using it is usually the cheaper path. That is true and worth saying, even by a practice that does not bill insurance.

Two things complicate it. First, availability — in-network psychiatric appointments, particularly for children, frequently carry multi-month waits. Second, coverage for testing is often subject to prior authorization and may be denied as “not medically necessary” after the fact.

If you go out-of-network, ask your plan these four questions before booking:

1. Do I have out-of-network outpatient mental health benefits?
2. What is my out-of-network deductible, and how much of it have I met this year?
3. What percentage of the allowed amount is reimbursed after the deductible — and what is the allowed amount for CPT 90792?
4. Do I need prior authorization for a psychiatric diagnostic evaluation?

The answer to question three is the one that matters. Plans reimburse a percentage of their allowed amount, not of what you actually paid.

What we charge, and why it is on the website

FirstLight is an out-of-network practice in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Our ADHD Evaluation & Report is $750, all-inclusive — two appointments, the rating scales, and the written report, with no separate charge for the visit where we tell you what we found.

That sits below the typical psychologist testing range and above a brief clinical visit, which is an accurate reflection of what it is. Every one of our fees is published, along with the procedure codes that appear on your superbill, on our fees page.

We publish them for a simple reason: families researching this are usually already tired, and “call us for pricing” is one more phone call standing between someone and an answer. You should be able to find out what something costs without speaking to anyone.

Before you book anywhere

Whoever you choose, these five questions will tell you what you are actually buying:

1. How long is the evaluation, and is it one appointment or several?
2. Is the written report included, or billed separately?
3. Is the feedback session — where you are told the results — included?
4. If medication turns out to be appropriate, can you prescribe it, or will I need another referral?
5. What is the total cost, including everything above?

A practice that answers those clearly, in writing, before you commit is telling you something useful about how the rest of the care will go.

Sources

• Self-pay ranges compiled from published 2026 pricing guidance across US providers, including Grow Therapy, Aware, and KMN Psychological Services.
• Diagnostic criteria and evaluation standards follow the DSM-5-TR.