A little into about me. I’m in my mid-forties, I live in Ohio, USA, and am on Medicaid. I suspect I have either ADD or ADHD but I can’t get diagnostic testing covered by Medicaid. What can I do to get testing or treatment? There are lots of “in-network” providers, but every time I get the focus to try and make an appointment no one answers their phones, or they’re not taking new patients, or they’re not in network after all. I’m so so so tired
You might not need official testing if your doctor is comfortable prescribing meds without it. talk to your doctor and see what they think. based on a discussion of your experience, they may be willing to prescribe you a minimum dose of an ADHD med to see if it helps. it’s not the most scientific way to confirm that you’ve technically got ADHD, but assuming you’re physically healthy, the worst case scenario would be that you have bad side effects, stop taking it, and you’ll have wasted some of your time.
I went through ADHD Online and got treated through them a while, then I found a psychiatrist who specializes in ADHD/ASD. He said ADHD Online wasn’t scientific enough for him and had me do another evaluation which was also online and the 2nd part had to be done by a loved one. I’ve also heard of people whose doctors did accept the ADHD Online evaluation, so ymmv. ADHD Online was $200 for the evaluation, $200 for the first appointment, and $100 for follow up appointments, so I would recommend them if you’re desperate and can afford it.
I simply put “I would like an ADHD screening” on the Other Concerns line of the check-in form for a regular doctor visit. So my Primary Care Provider asked me some questions, and gave me a referral for psychiatry.
Have you already talked to your PCP about it? Because if not, a referral might open some doors for coverage for testing.
I got tested after seeing an autism psychologist for evaluation and therapy. At first, she found me as autistic as that’s all she was evaluating me for and I was on my best behavior. Once I worked with her for a few months on autism tips, she saw the ADHD clearly, completed a more thorough evaluation for the ADHD, and referred me to a psychiatrist.
I think that if you find a psychologist that can evaluate for autism, they were more likely than not be able to evaluate for ADHD as well as there is considerable comorbidity between that two.
Honestly, i don’t even know if I’ve got ADHD. I just know the memes resonate. As I age my ability to function, to run a business, to do the bookkeeping and follow up visits, to answer the phone some days; everything is getting harder
That sounds confusing and disorienting. Maybe it would be a good idea to see a psychologist that specializes in thorough assessments, not just a general practitioner. They can run a battery of tests to tease it all apart and get you squared away.
Yah but see my op, Medicaid isn’t covering testing, just therapy. Added to that, i can’t afford to pay out of pocket. American healthcare inaction. Sorry, in action
Yeah, I’m American, and I get the system. It has some serious problems. I wish there was something for you. Maybe there are psychologist that will do something pro bono (free) if you tell them your financial situation, or perhaps there are agencies for ADHD in your area that will help. Try googling “pro bono psych assessment” in your area or “ADHD services” in your area. My area has 2 whole organizations that are entirely free to autistics. Also, not saying your autistic, but I knew I was ADHD my whole life. Then at 40, I realized I was also autistic. Consider taking some of these tests just to check. If it turns out you might be autistic, that will not only be insightful, but possibly grant you access to a lot more services since ADHD tends have less support.
Hey there. Went through something similar about five years ago now. For me, the path to testing was through depression and anxiety therapy. Went to sessions for about a year exploring CBT with no success, and I kept mentioning my issues focusing. Eventually my therapist recommended looking into medication, and had added ADHD to my diagnosis. The meds specialist I saw immediately recommended treatment via Vyvanse. I know this isn’t a straightforward path and might not work for you, but it got me to the point where there was at least some progress instead of constantly being stonewalled. A heads up, if you’re dealing with depression around your exhaustion and focus issues getting treatment for ADHD isn’t a cure all. I’m still working on a lot to try to get back to a healthy place. But it definitely makes it easier to work your way forward. Best of luck.
There’s also a chance that they continue to believe it’s treatment resistant depression and anxiety and refuse to even consider ADHD. That was my experience over a decade and at least a dozen doctors and therapists until I specifically sought out an evaluation. It’s also harder for women to get diagnosed, so that was probably a factor.
I think my next step (if taking to my PCP doesn’t do anything) would be to find a therapist and get a referral to a psychiatrist.
The hoops we have to jump through, and the many steps (that feel like walking through waist deep clay) just make me despair. It’s so much work just to get ahold of a human and make an appointment
Yep, same path I took 2 years ago. Therapist started working with me on my anxiety, she quickly realized I had ADHD and it was a major driver of my anxiety, referred me to a psychiatrist who got me on Adderall and completely changed my life.
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