Submitted by mb10240 t3_xvuqlw in springfieldMO
Adult family member needs local ADHD testing. Cox/Burrell is absolutely useless - soonest any doctor can get them in is March 2023 (we made this appointment in June, for perspective).
Private, unaffiliated doctors would be fantastic, better if they take Blue Cross Blue Shield. Just so sick and tired or Burrell.
Hopping on to add, nearly all BCBS policies will not cover the cost of the ADHD testing at Eustasis. (I worked there for a short period in patient accounts and saw this first hand.)
Ask to do the ADHD testing as self-pay, it’ll be $100. If it’s submitted to insurance and denied as patient responsibility, it’ll be over $200.
I'm fairly confident my bougie policy will pay for the testing, even with BCBS, but I don't think it'll save that much when it comes to self-pay ($50 seems to be the estimate I'm coming up with) and it will count as a visit (policy allows a certain number of visits a year before co-insurance kicks in).
Family member doesn't want to go to Eustasis anyways. They've heard that it's got a bunch of clinicians that are Jesus-y, and we're definitely not Jesus-y here.
They aren't Jesusy, the only god the Jains allow there are the Jains.
Money! They Jains don’t even care about Jains unless money is involved.
The inpatient at Cox north is actually pretty good. Worked there for almost ten years and they had a few docs I didn’t agree with but when I left they had Dr taber and he is amazing. Kind of a hard ass and won’t give meds out if your on “illegal” drugs but the meds work as long as you follow thru
That's because they are a pill mill.
Avoid Eustasis like the plague. I'm a former patient who also knows former employees. What we saw as patient was only the tip of the iceburg of that pill mill's bad practices.
My daughter had to go to Eustasis for her testing as well.
I’m also not entirely sure what kind of adhd testing there is, but Eustasis gives a drug test and does the “click” test.
Ugh. I absolutely HATE Eustasis and everything they represent. I.e. overpriced care because they know they are one of the only places to offer what they do. They did me dirty and I’ve heard similar stories from people I know. Just get the testing and don’t rebook.
Former patient confirming. They are a pill mill with shady billing practices. They give not one shit about patients individually, they book to overflowing and anybody with actual problems they dismiss.
The police refuse to respond to them for involuntary commitment enforcement, and haven't for years, last I knew. Literally every 2 out of 3 appointments I went to somebody was being escorted into an ambulance by the police.
Ugh. I hate that that was your experience too. I went to FOUR visits and they almost got me for a grand. And when I stated I wanted to quit my medication for awhile to see if I could handle it naturally, they just told me to cold quit.
I’m crazy enough and have been on enough medication to know that’s a no no.
I hear the LDC at MSU does evaluations for community members as well. They still have a wait, but not as long. website
This is the best way. They are very thorough and will give you a ton of useful information and resources.
Important to note though that they cannot prescribe anything, they can only give a written recommendation to take to your doctor to get you a referral for an actual ADHD screening.
If they are wanting meds for it I would recommend Faith Clark at Burrell. She's a psychiatrist. I know Burrell sucks, but that's how my family got help.
Burrell bought out a bunch of private practices out, so they don’t all suck. Definitely see your point historically but there’s some good clinicians in the mix now.
This family member already has a psychiatrist who is willing to prescribe them meds, but they need the ADHD testing before they prescribe them meds for that.
Honestly I don't have an answer for you, I wish I did. Please tag me if someone does give you one. My husband desperately needs a diagnosis. He was diagnosed as a kid but we can't find his records.
Please ask your Psychiatry provider for pharmacogenetic cheek swab testing before they prescribe the medication though. I found out that a lot of autistic and ADHD adults have many comorbid conditions that might be genetic and a lot of us have out of the ordinary metabolism of common psychiatric drugs and the pharmacogenetics test needs to be given by a psychiatrist provider before prescribing a dose custom to that person. This is pretty new science and I learned that I was taking way too high of doses my entire life that were toxic to me and a lot of my neurodivergent friends have gotten the same result. Now we know which medications not to just trial and error based on that genetic report. I will argue with any psychiatrist who tells me to just take something without looking at my pharmacogenetic report. I'm an ultra rapid metabolizer of many common ADHD and depression medications and they could be toxic for me. Please be safe. I just want to spread this information to everyone.
Dionysus at Mercy in Ozark. I was there for about an hour and a half and walked away diagnosed ADHD-I, PTSD, and PDD
Is this Dr kim? She did my assessment at Mercy in springfield. I was tested for both autism and ADHD and a lot of neurocognitive testing because of brain injury. It was very thorough and they took my medicaid.
I want to add, assuming it's the same doctor and Network, that Dr insisted a great job of post assessment follow-up counseling, also paid by medicaid, with me after I got to read the crazy 17 Page report. She did a great job of helping me feel more normal and talking to me like the adult I am seeking assessment for myself for personal reasons. Her Clinic was completely willing to participate in helping me win my social security disability claim. I've heard bad things about places like Burl and eustasis cooperating with those information requests from Social Security but this was smooth.
Psych Associates. It costs $1,800 out of pocket if you don’t have insurance but you don’t need a referral, they’ll just do one if you ask.
Here's the deal. Psych evals have become sooo popular because everyone thinks they have adhd or autism. Its clogging the system!!! The mental health field is highly underpaid. For example, an RN with a 2year degree is paid more than a counselor with a masters degree with 6-7 years education. Behavioral health centers are desperate to staff because there is a shortage in mental health professionals of all kinds partly because the pay is so poor for the amount of education plus it takes special people to subject themselves daily to secondary trauma. Realistically one should expect a 6mth to a year wait for an evaluation. Eustasis may be trying to bank on evals. I have not heard good things. There is a huge influx of need as mental health stigma has decreased. You would be surprised to know half of clients don't even show for their first appointments whether it is psychiatric care or counseling and then we are frustrated because we know others are waiting.
I’m frustrated because I was diagnosed with ADHD during a time that both ADHD and autism couldn’t be diagnosed together. I also was never given a full evaluation. I have no idea where I could even get that kind of care but I know I need it because my symptoms have only gotten worse and ADHD meds don’t help. I’m kind of at a loss. As someone who seems to know about this, do you recommend I just give up on seeking help?
ADHD and autism can be diagnosed at the same time if criteria is met. Please do not give up!! Are you seeing a mental health counselor or or psychiatric provider now or or even your primary care physician can refer you for a psych eval. What type of provider diagnosed you with ADHD?
I was diagnosed by a therapist and went to a psychiatrist for a short time at age 7 in 2007. I was also diagnosed with panic attack disorder and auditory processing disorder. They also called my ADHD a learning disorder the entire time and I was given many, many special ed classes due to this. This was under the DSM 4 which would have diagnosed me with aspegers if the psychiatrist ever evaluated me, according to those I’ve talked to. I was later diagnosed by a therapist in 2016 at age 16 with OCD. In my memory, before I could be fully evaluated, I was unfortunately forced to move states and was not able to find a psychiatrist where I moved. I have all the symptoms and my mom agrees that it’s likely, she has been encouraging me to find someone, anyone around Springfield who can evaluate and test adults for autism. I am currently 22.
Definitely as an adult it is important for you to be reevaluated so A lot of times psychiatric providers will want a psych eval Before they will prescribe certain ADHD medications They will not rely alone on the diagnosis of a mental health counselor. It's going to be time consuming but you are very young and have a lot of life to live. I'm not sure where you're located and I don't need to know but Burrell Clark Center Ozark center and Semo cover southern MO. You should be able to contact them to initiate services. Just call them and ask how. Access family Healthcare may have psychologists available. There is also Mercy behavioral health. Skyline in Joplin.
I hear so many horror stories about Burrell, but we’ve had amazing luck there with my autistic son. Granted, it took them nearly a year before they were able to get someone who could actually do the assessment for the official diagnosis 4 years ago, but once we got it so many doors opened and it’s been amazing ever since. But I don’t know if we are “the exception not the rule”.
Absolutely do not give up!!!! Its going to take patience. It is frustrating and the mental health field is frustrated too. I think Burrell actually calls people on their referral list if some cancels their eval appointment.
Get out of Springfield, any direction, and it will help. I'm going through Citizens Memorial Hospital. My formal evaluation was scheduled 3 months out from my referral appointment, I was given meds to try based on my self reporting at that appointment, and I got a referral for therapy that was scheduled within a month.
Disclaimer, I do have 8 years of history with my doctor, and I don't know if that played a role in how quickly i was medicated. It didn't help me get scheduled for a formal diagnosis faster, but I can definitely wait 3 months!
Bibi health was easy but expensive, for me.
try college skyline in joplin? they should have psych evals for adults & quicker appt times. i scheduled my eval in late august and my appt is the 27th this month :)
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malevolentk t1_ir36429 wrote
Eustatis
They are expensive and feel like a mill - but I got tested and then my primary doc was willing to take over prescribing my medication