Posted by manowar on January 31, 2002, at 20:36:32
In reply to SPECT scans are around $1500 I think, posted by 3 Beer Effect on January 30, 2002, at 2:19:01
I went to the Amen clinic in CA in August. If they suspect that you may have ADD type problems- they like to take two scans: one when you're brain is at rest and one when you're concentrating. The scans have to be at least a day apart. The radioisotope they use for the scan takes about a day to leave the system.
BTW: They don't inject a dye at all. They inject a radioisotope (nuclear medicine)
It cost me $2,700 for:
1) The two scans
2) A history taken
3) A two-hour appointment with a psychiatrist
4) Dr. Amen personally reads every scan
5) A thorough ten-page write up that includes my history, complaints, evaluation, diagnosis, recommendations and treatment plan.
6) He also called my pdoc (whom I've since dumped) and set him strait!It was the best money I ever spent. I guess since the scans proved that I was truly ill, my insurance paid $2,300 for it.
Isn't it funny that insurance companies treat ADD as a brain based illness, but depression as some sort of psychological problem? My insurance would not pay for psychiatry. That's why I now see a pediatrician that specializes in ADD (Yes, he also treats adults too...)
I'll take one pediatrician over a dozen psychiatrists!
--Tim
> > I think I read somewhere that SPECT scans are around $1500. They have to inject some kind of green dye that crosses into your brain in order for the scan to be effective. Insurance might pay for the scan if your psychiatrist deems that it is necessary to treat you, but somehow I would think HMOs would object to spending that kind of money unless it was life threatening, or even if it was life threatening for that matter!
>
> 3 Beers.
> >
> > Spect scan...Now thats a new idea I haven't yet pursued. I don't suppose it's likely to get reimbursed by insurance...How much does such a thing cost?
> >
> > Scott
> >
> >
poster:manowar
thread:92098
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020131/msgs/92443.html