Home › Guides › Questions to Ask Before You Book an ADHD Assessment

Questions to Ask Before You Book an ADHD Assessment

A short set of questions, asked before you book, can save weeks of waiting for the wrong fit. Cost, Medicare rebates, expected wait time and whether the provider can prescribe are the four that matter most.

A short set of questions, asked before you book, can save weeks of waiting for the wrong fit. Cost, Medicare rebates, expected wait time, and whether the provider can prescribe are the four that matter most.

What will the total cost be?

Ask for the total cost across the whole assessment, not just the first session, since a full ADHD assessment often runs across more than one appointment. Nationally, total costs average close to $1,400, with an initial adult session alone averaging more than $530 without any rebate, and some assessments reaching almost $4,000, according to 2026 University of Wollongong reporting. Getting a number for the whole process up front, not only the first session, makes it much easier to compare providers on a like-for-like basis.

Does a Medicare rebate apply, and do I need a referral?

For patients under 25, a psychologist session of at least 50 minutes that contributes to diagnosing ADHD can be billed under Medicare item 82000, an 85 percent rebate on a $119.45 fee, capped at 8 services in a lifetime and reviewed after the first 4. For a psychiatrist assessment with a GP referral, item 291 covers a longer attendance with a management plan at an 85 percent rebate on a $549.90 fee, while item 296 covers a shorter first attendance without that plan, rebated at 85 percent of $316.30. Ask which item, if any, applies to your situation, and whether a GP referral is needed to access it.

How long is the wait, realistically?

Ask for a real estimate, not just 'a few weeks.' Nationally, adults wait just over 10 weeks on average and children 19 weeks for a first appointment, but 2026 University of Wollongong reporting also found only 59 percent of clinicians contacted responded within two calls, and fewer than half had any availability to book at all. Asking two or three providers the same wait-time question is a reasonable way to find out who actually has capacity, rather than relying on one answer.

Can this provider prescribe, or will I need another referral?

A registered psychologist can diagnose ADHD but cannot prescribe medication under any circumstances, while a psychiatrist or paediatrician can also prescribe, subject to the rules in their state. Ask directly whether the person you're seeing can prescribe if medication turns out to be something you want, and if not, what the pathway to a prescriber looks like from there. It's a simple question that avoids finding out the hard way, months into the process.

None of these questions require special expertise to ask, and a provider used to working with ADHD assessments should be able to answer all four in a single phone call.

Common questions

Sources

• University of Wollongong: A 12-month wait and a $1,400 bill
• Medicare Benefits Schedule: item 82000
• Medicare Benefits Schedule: item 291
• Medicare Benefits Schedule: item 296

Related reading

• How to choose an ADHD assessment provider
• ADHD assessment cost and wait time in Australia
• You've been diagnosed with ADHD: what happens next