How Much Do Amen Clinics Cost?

Updated on July 21, 2026 | Written by Alec Pow
This article was researched using 8 sources. See our methodology and corrections policy.

Amen Clinics does not currently publish one fixed price for its comprehensive evaluation. New patients receive a personalized quote based on the services recommended, while the clinic confirms that a $500 to $1,500 deposit is required to reserve an evaluation. Historical public reporting has placed full evaluations in the several-thousand-dollar range, so a practical planning budget is often $4,000 to $6,000 or more before travel, follow-up care, supplements, therapy, or financing charges. The current quote from the clinic is the only dependable price for a specific patient.

The clinic generally requires payment directly from the patient and does not bill insurance. Patients receive billing and diagnosis codes that may be submitted for possible out-of-network reimbursement. That means a quoted evaluation of $5,000 may require the full $5,000 upfront even when the patient expects an insurer to reimburse part of the cost later.

Amen Clinics uses psychiatric interviews, medical and social history, questionnaires, cognitive testing, and brain SPECT imaging in its evaluation process. SPECT measures patterns of cerebral blood flow. Its use for routine psychiatric diagnosis remains debated, so the cost decision should include a clear explanation of what the scan is expected to add and whether it is likely to change treatment.

Article Highlights

• Amen Clinics currently uses personalized quotes rather than a public fixed package price.
• The required appointment deposit is $500 to $1,500 (at $30 per hour, earning that amount would take about 0.4 to 1.3 full-time workweeks, before taxes).
• The remaining evaluation balance is due at the first appointment.
• A complete evaluation may require two to three days at a clinic, with two to three hours scheduled each day.
• Amen Clinics does not bill insurance directly and generally functions as an out-of-network provider.
• A clinic charge of $5,000 can become a real trip cost near $6,800 after travel and lost wages.
• Financing $5,000 for 60 months at 20.90% would produce total payments near $8,099.

How Much Do Amen Clinics Cost?

The official Amen Clinics pricing page says a typical comprehensive evaluation may include SPECT imaging, neuropsychological testing, a detailed clinical history, a physician meeting, follow-up appointments, and coaching totaling about ten hours of clinical care. It does not publish one national package price.

What the Evaluation Includes

The evaluation is broader than a single brain scan. Amen Clinics describes a process that can include history taking across biological, psychological, social, and spiritual areas, computerized or neuropsychological testing, questionnaires, SPECT imaging, and a physician review. The final recommendation may include medication, psychotherapy, lifestyle changes, laboratory work, supplements, coaching, or other services.

SPECT is a nuclear medicine study that uses a radioactive tracer to map regional blood-flow patterns. It is different from a structural brain MRI, which looks for anatomy such as tumors, bleeding, or other structural changes. Readers comparing imaging prices can review the cost of a brain MRI, but MRI and SPECT answer different clinical questions.

The clinic’s current evaluation-method description says the physician considers the scans together with the patient’s history and assessments. The scan should not be described as a stand-alone test that automatically diagnoses depression, anxiety, ADHD, PTSD, or another psychiatric disorder.

The Deposit Has Strict Rules

Amen Clinics requires a deposit of $500 to $1,500 (about 0.4 to 1.3 full-time workweeks at $30 per hour), depending on the evaluation. The clinic’s pricing terms and cancellation rules state that the patient must cancel or reschedule within three business days of making the appointment to avoid the stricter cancellation treatment.

After that period, the deposit is generally not returned as cash when the evaluation is canceled. The clinic says it remains as a credit toward a future appointment. The remaining balance is due at the first appointment, and prices can change until paid in full.

For a patient quoted $5,000 with a $1,500 deposit, the deposit leaves $3,500 due at the first visit. It does not lower the total. It changes the timing of payment and creates a cancellation exposure.

Insurance May Reimburse Only a Small Share

Amen Clinics says it does not bill insurance. Patients receive a walk-out statement or superbill containing applicable billing and diagnosis codes. They may submit that document for possible out-of-network reimbursement under the terms of their own plan. The clinic’s financial and insurance FAQ does not promise reimbursement.

Out-of-network reimbursement is usually calculated from the insurer’s allowed amount, not from the clinic’s full charge. Suppose the clinic charges $5,000, but the insurer recognizes only $2,500. With a $500 out-of-network deductible and 50% coinsurance after the deductible, the insurer would pay 50% of the remaining $2,000, or $1,000. The patient’s net clinic cost would still be $4,000.

The result can be worse if the plan excludes psychiatric SPECT, has no out-of-network benefits, applies a separate deductible, or treats part of the evaluation as noncovered. A statement that a plan pays 50% does not mean it pays half of the clinic’s invoice.

A Worked Evaluation

Consider a patient who receives an illustrative comprehensive-evaluation quote of $5,000. Add $700 for transportation, $400 for two hotel nights, $100 for meals and local travel, and $600 in lost wages. The real trip cost reaches $6,800.

If the insurer later reimburses $1,000 under the example above, the patient’s net spending remains $5,800. A companion, additional hotel nights, childcare, or a return visit would raise the total.

Amen Clinics says a full evaluation may take two to three days, with two to three hours of appointments each day. The network currently lists locations in 11 U.S. metro areas on its clinic location directory, so travel can be a material part of the bill for patients who live outside those regions.

Financing Can Add More Than $3,000

Amen Clinics promotes CareCredit for eligible purchases. The clinic’s published financing terms list fixed-payment offers from 17.90% to 20.90% APR, depending on the term and purchase amount. A 60-month offer for qualifying purchases of at least $2,500 carries a stated 20.90% APR.

Financing $5,000 for 60 months at 20.90% produces a monthly payment near $134.99. Total payments reach about $8,099, adding approximately $3,099 above the cash price.

Some CareCredit offers use deferred interest. Those plans can charge interest from the original purchase date when the full promotional balance is not paid by the deadline. A monthly payment that looks affordable should be compared with the total repayment and the consequences of missing the promotional payoff date.

Ongoing Care Has No Single Price

The old article estimated ongoing care at $500 to $2,000 or more per month, but Amen Clinics does not currently publish a schedule that supports one dependable monthly range. A patient receiving occasional medication follow-ups may spend far less than someone using weekly therapy, functional-medicine visits, laboratory testing, supplements, coaching, neurofeedback, hyperbaric oxygen, or a TMS course.

Ask for an itemized plan showing the number and length of appointments, provider type, laboratory work, supplements, imaging, and expected treatment duration. Neuropsychological testing can itself cost thousands of dollars in many private settings, as discussed in the cost of psychological testing.

Supplements deserve separate attention because Dr. Daniel Amen is also associated with BrainMD, a nutraceutical company. The prescription or recommendation of supplements does not make them part of the evaluation fee, and recurring purchases can create a long-term monthly expense.

The Evidence Debate Matters

Amen Clinics argues that SPECT blood-flow patterns add useful information when cases are complicated, confusing, or have not responded to prior care. The clinic uses imaging alongside interviews and testing rather than claiming that the scan is the only data point.

Mainstream psychiatric guidance remains more cautious. A 2024 review in the National Library of Medicine states that neuroimaging is not recommended for most psychiatric patients because current tests have not yet shown enough individual-level diagnostic or treatment-guidance value for routine use. The review of routine psychiatric imaging distinguishes promising research from established clinical use.

An American Psychiatric Association work-group report also concluded that neuroimaging was not recommended in U.S. or European practice guidelines for positively defining primary psychiatric diagnoses. The APA neuroimaging consensus report is older, but it remains relevant to the disagreement over using scans to classify individual psychiatric cases.

The American Medical Association’s ethics journal has explained that common psychiatric diagnoses are based on clinical criteria rather than imaging findings. Its psychiatric imaging overview notes that scans may still be useful when clinicians need to investigate a structural or neurologic cause.

This does not prove that an Amen evaluation has no value. It means the patient should ask what decision the scan is expected to change, what evidence supports that use for the suspected condition, and whether a less expensive clinical or neuropsychological assessment could answer the same question.

Amen Clinics vs With Other Care

A standard in-network psychiatric evaluation may involve a clinical interview, symptom measures, medical history, review of medications, and follow-up treatment. Neuropsychological testing or imaging may be ordered when clinically indicated. Insurance networks can reduce the patient’s immediate cash requirement, though deductibles and coinsurance still apply.

An Amen evaluation bundles a longer process that may include two SPECT studies, cognitive testing, extensive history, physician interpretation, follow-up appointments, and coaching. That makes it a different product from one psychiatrist visit. The useful comparison is not a single appointment versus the whole Amen package. It is the cost of obtaining the same clinical questions answered through an in-network psychiatrist, separate testing, and any imaging that another clinician considers medically indicated.

Some patients also compare SPECT with pharmacogenomic testing. A test such as GeneSight addresses medication-response genetics rather than brain blood flow, so the cost of GeneSight testing should not be treated as a direct substitute for a full psychiatric evaluation.

When This Expense May Make Sense

Makes sense if:

• The patient understands the clinic is largely self-pay and can carry the upfront cost.
• A current itemized quote explains exactly what services are included.
• The treating team can state how the imaging result may change the clinical plan.
• Previous records, medication history, and testing are available for review.
• Travel and follow-up arrangements fit the patient’s schedule and budget.

May not make sense if:

• The patient expects insurance to pay half of the full clinic charge.
• The decision is based on an old published package price rather than a current quote.
• The patient would need high-interest financing without calculating total repayment.
• A lower-cost in-network evaluation has not yet been explored.
• The patient expects SPECT alone to confirm one psychiatric diagnosis.

What to Verify Before Paying

• Checked: Request the exact cash quote and a written list of every included scan, test, physician visit, coaching session, and follow-up.
• Confirmed: Ask the insurer whether each supplied billing code has out-of-network benefits and what allowed amount will be used.
• Cross-referenced: Compare the clinic quote with in-network psychiatry, neuropsychological testing, and any separately indicated imaging.
• Verified: Read the deposit, cancellation, no-show, and price-change terms before paying.
• Checked: Calculate total CareCredit repayment rather than comparing only the monthly payment.

Answers to Common Questions

How much is an Amen Clinics evaluation?

Amen Clinics currently provides personalized quotes rather than one public national price. A practical planning estimate is often $4,000 to $6,000 or more, but the written clinic quote is the only dependable figure for a specific evaluation.

How much is the Amen Clinics deposit?

The required deposit is $500 to $1,500, depending on the evaluation. The remaining balance is due at the first appointment.

Does Amen Clinics accept insurance?

The clinic does not bill insurance directly. Patients pay Amen Clinics and may submit a walk-out statement for possible out-of-network reimbursement. Payment is not guaranteed.

Can SPECT diagnose anxiety, ADHD, or depression?

SPECT measures cerebral blood-flow patterns. Amen Clinics uses those patterns as one part of a broader evaluation, but routine psychiatric diagnoses are not established from a SPECT image alone.

How long does an Amen Clinics evaluation take?

The clinic says patients should allow two to three days, with about two to three hours scheduled each day for a complete evaluation.