"How much is this going to cost?" is a fair question, and it deserves a plainer answer than most psychiatric practices give. Here is what a psychiatric evaluation costs at South Chesapeake Psychiatry, what is included, how that compares with the alternatives in Virginia, and how to think about the money.
A 60-minute initial psychiatric evaluation at South Chesapeake Psychiatry is $300, self-pay, and that price is the same whether you come to our Chesapeake office or meet with us by secure video from anywhere in Virginia. Follow-up medication-management visits are shorter and billed at a lower fee that we confirm with you before you book. There is no membership, no hidden facility charge, and no surprise bill in the mail. The full breakdown is on our pricing page.
A full hour with a board-certified psychiatric provider. In that hour we cover your current symptoms, your history going back to childhood, every medication you have tried and what happened, your medical history and labs, your sleep, substances, family history, and what you actually want to be different. By the end you should have a working diagnosis, a treatment plan you understand, prescriptions sent to your pharmacy if medication is appropriate, and a direct line to your provider for the questions that come up afterward. If medication needs a prior authorization from your pharmacy benefit, our team handles that paperwork.
I emphasize the hour because it is the part that changes outcomes. A diagnosis made in fifteen minutes is often a guess, and a wrong diagnosis is expensive in a way that never shows up on an invoice: months on the wrong medication, side effects for nothing, and the slow erosion of hope that treatment can work.
Insurance-based psychiatry is built around short visits and high volume, because that is what reimbursement rewards. Going self-pay lets us keep the initial visit at a full hour, keep caseloads small enough that you can reach your provider between appointments, and make treatment decisions on clinical grounds rather than on what a payer will approve this quarter. I understand that is a real tradeoff for many families, and I would rather say so than pretend otherwise.
The one exception in our practice is SPRAVATO®. Treatment-resistant depression is exactly the situation where cost should not be a barrier, so SPRAVATO® is provided through TRIP, our interventional psychiatry service line, which verifies benefits and bills your insurance.
If your plan includes out-of-network mental health benefits, you may be able to recover part of what you paid. On request we provide a superbill, an itemized receipt with the diagnosis and service codes your insurer needs, and you submit it to your plan. What comes back depends on your out-of-network deductible and your plan's allowed amount, and reimbursement is never guaranteed. A five-minute call to the member services number on your card, asking "what are my out-of-network benefits for outpatient psychiatric visits," will tell you what to expect before your first appointment.
Health savings account and flexible spending account funds can typically be used for psychiatric evaluations and medication management, since they are qualified medical expenses. Keep your receipt for your plan administrator.
I am careful about quoting other practices' fees, because they change and because a number without the visit length attached is meaningless. What I can tell you is what to compare. When you call another office, ask three things: how long is the initial evaluation, who will I actually see, and what does a follow-up cost. An evaluation that is $100 cheaper but twenty minutes long is not a bargain. A telehealth subscription that assigns you a different prescriber each month is not continuity. And an in-network visit with a $50 copay can still cost more than you expect once the deductible applies, so ask your insurer what you will owe, not just whether the provider is "covered."
Is the evaluation fee the same for a virtual visit? Yes. The 60-minute initial evaluation is $300 in person or by secure video, as long as you are physically in Virginia at the time of the visit.
Do you offer payment plans or sliding-scale fees? Contact the office and ask. We would rather have the conversation than have someone go without care.
What if I only need a second opinion or a one-time medication review? That is a common and reasonable use of an evaluation. Tell us that is your goal when you schedule, and we will make sure you leave with a written summary you can take back to your current prescriber.
If you are ready to be evaluated, or you simply want to ask whether we are the right fit, request an appointment or call the office at (757) 908-2124. South Chesapeake Psychiatry offers 60-minute self-pay psychiatric evaluations and ongoing medication management in Chesapeake and by secure video across Virginia. SPRAVATO® treatment is provided through TRIP, our insurance-supported interventional psychiatry service line.
Schedule an appointment today to get diagnosed, receive a prescription, and continue your journey towards mental peace.
