What is the revenue generated (monthly) for each ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) diagnosis?

Question

Specifically, what is the monthly cost of the standard drug and therapy regime for each kid that gets this diagnosis?

Answer 1

varies from child to child, med to med, and insurance to insurance. My son is on medicaid, so it is of no cost to me, but I don;t know that the actual cost is.

ADHD is real, and its sad that so many people think its all a conspiracy.

Answer 2

My daughter has a completely different set of circumstances (she had two strokes as a toddler, so has dead brain tissue, not any form of checmical imbalance), but her doctor is $95.00 a visit before insurance, and the drug that they push more often now, Strattera, was in the high end med's on my insurance plan. Per Walgreens site, a 30 day supply of the 25 mg pills is $140.00. Concerta (a stimulant formula) is 127.00 for a months supply. So, without insurance, you are looking at almost $300.00 a month, not including care issues.

For neggandbattlemaster, please don't go to one source of information and bash everything. I, too, did, and still do, believe entirely too many children are diagnosed with ADHD because thier parents/teachers can't deal with them. But, the fact is, there is a difference in the brain function of a person with ADHD vs. someone that doesn't have it. ADHD can also be caused by brain trauma. Unfortunately, it is easier for doctors to prescribe meds than to do the testing, because the meds will make the kid chill wether they have it or not. The one thing you were accurate on, is children who have been on the stimulants and are yanked off do have a higher rate of dependency issues in the future... thank god there are more options than just stimulants. But, SPECT scans found people with ADHD to have reduced blood circulation, and a significantly higher concentration of dopamine transporters in the striatum which is in charge of planning ahead. There is a marked difference in the brain fuction, and the areas that are getting the dopamine and those that aren't. It is a disease, but unfortunately one that takes the blame for child rearing in some cases.

Answer 3

Single medication-6,000/year
Multiple medications to treat side effects-12-18,000/year
Further medications in order to counter the long term side effects of multiple prescriptions-20-28,000/year

These dollar figures are what drug companies make by drugging our children, the parents pay less than this due to subsidies, insurance, etc.

I highly recommend you watch the documentary "The drugging of our children" It's free, streaming, from this link: http://www.tv-links.co.uk/listings/9/5611

A high price to pay for a pseudo scientific diagnosis of a disease that has no shown effects on the brain other than what the years of amphetamine-like medications cause. It's the only disease, mental of physical, that has not shown effect on the chemistry of the body. Depression, schizophrenia, tuberculosis, small pox, anthrax, Bipolar, and even OCD all have traceable effects in the body's chemistry. ADD and ADHD have none. Yet you want CHILDREN who simply WONT SIT DOWN to be on AMPHETAMINES to make YOUR daily life more CONVENIENT? For a disease that has NOT BEN PROVEN TO EXIST?

Answer 4

There is no standard. Depends on where you live, how much it costs there, etc. etc. It's not an easy diagnosis to get or treat. It's much more complex than it appears.