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.

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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

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WaywardDeadite t1_ir3e63i wrote

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.

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bubblybeep t1_ir3flde wrote

I hear the LDC at MSU does evaluations for community members as well. They still have a wait, but not as long. website

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ohlovely t1_ir3h1kz wrote

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.

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tlw31415 t1_ir3h5q7 wrote

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.

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mb10240 OP t1_ir3o8t2 wrote

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.

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notnotpegbundy t1_ir3olxy wrote

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.

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WaywardDeadite t1_ir3qy5z wrote

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.

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Sea-Astronaut-6541 t1_ir45b5n wrote

Dionysus at Mercy in Ozark. I was there for about an hour and a half and walked away diagnosed ADHD-I, PTSD, and PDD

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Peach_MacabreLer t1_ir47xd9 wrote

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.

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AlmightyStreub t1_ir49rc2 wrote

Bibi health was easy but expensive, for me.

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lochlainn t1_ir4a34b wrote

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.

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lochlainn t1_ir4afel wrote

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.

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kentfrostphoto t1_ir4uhg3 wrote

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”.

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notnotpegbundy t1_ir57psy wrote

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.

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Simple_Falcon_9335 t1_ir5bqoa wrote

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.

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_ism_ t1_ir5mylk wrote

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.

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_ism_ t1_ir5nhff wrote

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.

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_ism_ t1_ir5o5uu wrote

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.

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budtoast t1_ir5td2h wrote

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?

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thetrevorkian t1_ir5tts3 wrote

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

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isfj5w6 t1_ir65fk1 wrote

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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Simple_Falcon_9335 t1_ir67h5z wrote

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.

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Simple_Falcon_9335 t1_ir691bn wrote

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?

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budtoast t1_ir69h9v wrote

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.

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smurfysamm t1_ir6b12h wrote

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!

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Simple_Falcon_9335 t1_ir6db7s wrote

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.

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