The short answer: across eight California regions, 56 practices publish a price for an adult ADHD evaluation on their own websites. A first visit with someone who can prescribe was published at $150 to $1,000. A psychological testing package was published at $500 to $15,000. Only 13 of the 56 name an insurance plan that covers the evaluation, and only 3 name a Medi-Cal plan.
These are the prices practices publish, not what most people pay. Most practices publish no price at all, and we have not computed an average or a midpoint, because a single number would mix two different services.
The two services behind the numbers
| Visit-based evaluation | Psychological testing | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A clinician who can prescribe diagnoses from an interview, history and rating scales | Hours of standardized tests, a written report and a feedback meeting |
| Practices publishing a price | 15 | 41 |
| Published price range | $150 to $1,000 for the first visit | $500 to $15,000 |
| Under $500 to start | 9 of 15 | none |
| Low end under $2,000 | all 15 | 13 of 41 |
For most adults, the first kind answers "is this ADHD?"¹ Testing earns its cost when a second question needs an answer, such as a learning disorder, or when a school or exam board asks for a full report.
Region by region
| Region | Practices | Lowest first visit | Lowest testing price | Name an insurer for the evaluation | Medi-Cal option |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | 7 | $600 | $1,200 | 3 | Alameda Alliance, at one practice |
| Los Angeles County | 12 | $300 | $1,000 | 3 | none |
| East Bay | 5 | none published | $500 (sliding scale) | 0 | none |
| Orange County | 7 | $350 | $900 | 1 | none |
| San Diego County | 8 | $400 | $1,395 | 2 | none |
| Sacramento region | 4 | $150 | $1,125 | 0 | none |
| Inland Empire | 8 | $175 | $1,500 | 3 | IEHP, at two practices |
| Santa Clara County | 5 | none published | $1,250 | 1 | none |
What the dataset shows
- Insurance is the exception. 13 of 56 practices name a plan that covers the evaluation. Aetna appears most often, at 8.
- Medi-Cal is rarer still. Three practices name a Medi-Cal plan: one lists Alameda Alliance (San Francisco), and two list IEHP (Inland Empire). On Medi-Cal, your plan is the first call: most plans we checked say you can get a mental health assessment from a network provider without a referral.
- Medicare and Blue Shield of California: two practices each. Tricare: one (San Diego). Kaiser: one practice lists Kaiser SoCal; Kaiser members should start with Kaiser.
- Waits are rarely published. 14 of 56 publish a wait or availability line.
- Ranges hide scope. Several testing ranges cover every assessment a practice does, not ADHD alone. Each regional page says where.
Download the data
The full table, with every practice's price, insurance line and source link, is free to reuse with credit to TherapyCalifornia: adult-adhd-evaluation-prices-california.csv.
How we built it
- Inclusion is computed, never purchased. A practice is listed if it has an office in the region and its own website publishes a price for an adult ADHD evaluation, or an adult evaluation that includes ADHD. No practice paid or was asked. A listing is not a recommendation.
- Excluded: hourly-only rates, practices with no published price, no street address, or not taking new patients, national telehealth companies without a local office, and two practices whose licence type may not cover adult ADHD diagnosis.
- Sources: each price comes from the practice's own page, read November 6, 7 or 10, 2026, and matched word for word in a second pass. Where a practice's own pages disagree, the regional page prints both figures.
- Not checked: we did not verify licences, call practices, or test whether a price is honored. Ask for a written estimate before you book.
- Review cycle: prices go stale. We recheck every regional page within 90 days.
Q&A
How much does an adult ADHD evaluation cost in California? In November 2026, 56 California practices published prices: $150 to $1,000 for a first visit with a prescriber, and $500 to $15,000 for psychological testing. Most practices publish no price.
Does insurance cover an adult ADHD evaluation? Often, through your plan's network, but only 13 of the 56 practices that publish prices name a plan. Call your plan first and ask for an in-network adult ADHD diagnostic evaluation.
Can I get an ADHD evaluation on Medi-Cal? Yes, through your Medi-Cal plan. Most plans we checked say you can get a mental health assessment from a network provider without a referral. Three practices in this dataset list a Medi-Cal plan.
Our therapist directory: See its current status → · Adult ADHD routes, region by region →
Sources
- National Institute of Mental Health, "ADHD: What You Need to Know" — nimh.nih.gov.
- Each practice's own price page, linked from its regional page and listed in the CSV, read November 6–10, 2026.
- Medi-Cal plan handbooks and pages for the assessment-without-referral rule, cited on each regional page.
Clinical review is not yet claimed.
Paid for by participating therapists. Inclusion is computed from published prices — never purchased. No ads, no data sold.