Psychiatric evaluation cost in Buffalo, NY — inpatient
In Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY, 4 hospitals list a cash price for mental health diagnostic evaluation (intake), without medical services as an inpatient: from $348.00 to $2,475.84, with a median of $348.00. The lowest listed price is at Mount St. Mary's Hospital and 2 other hospitals. Across New York, the median is $213.57 at 56 hospitals.
Cash prices at 4 facilities across 2 cities for code 90791, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Aug 25, 2026 and Aug 25, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount St. Mary's Hospital lowest Lewiston, NY · (716) 297-4800 Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation | $348.00 | $348.00 | $60.38–$348.00 | — | — source file |
| Sisters of Charity Hospital lowest Buffalo, NY · (716) 862-1000 Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation | $348.00 | $348.00 | $60.38–$348.00 | — | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital of Buffalo lowest Buffalo, NY · (716) 826-7000 Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation | $348.00 | $348.00 | $60.38–$355.30 | — | — source file |
| Sisters of Charity Hospital Buffalo, NY · (716) 862-1000 Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation | $355.30 | $355.30 | $60.38–$348.00 | — | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital of Buffalo Buffalo, NY · (716) 826-7000 Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation | $355.30 | $355.30 | $60.38–$355.30 | — | — source file |
| Erie County Medical Center Buffalo, NY · (716) 898-3936 PSYCH DX EVAL PART HOSP | $2,475.84 | $574.49 | $110.00–$3,487.19 | -331% | Aug 25, 2026 source file |
| Erie County Medical Center Buffalo, NY · (716) 898-3936 ASSESSMENT EXTENDED 75 MIN | $2,475.84 | $574.49 | $221.56–$3,487.19 | -331% | Aug 25, 2026 source file |
| Erie County Medical Center Buffalo, NY · (716) 898-3936 PSYCH DX INTERVIEW/EXAMINATION | $2,475.84 | $3,099.98 | $221.56–$3,487.19 | 20% | Aug 25, 2026 source file |
| Erie County Medical Center Buffalo, NY · (716) 898-3936 ASSESSMENT NORMATIVE 30 MIN | $2,475.84 | $574.49 | $221.56–$3,487.19 | -331% | Aug 25, 2026 source file |
| Erie County Medical Center Buffalo, NY · (716) 898-3936 CPEP ASSESSMENT FULL | $2,475.84 | $3,099.98 | $221.56–$3,487.19 | 20% | Aug 25, 2026 source file |
| Erie County Medical Center Buffalo, NY · (716) 898-3936 CPEP BRIEF EVALUATION | $2,475.84 | $3,099.98 | $221.56–$3,487.19 | 20% | Aug 25, 2026 source file |
| Erie County Medical Center Buffalo, NY · (716) 898-3936 PSYCH DIAG INTERVIEW EXAM | $2,475.84 | $3,099.98 | $221.56–$3,487.19 | 20% | Aug 25, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $348.00, median $348.00, highest $2,475.84 — a 7.1× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 5 facilities here, median $348.00 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 of 4 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it below every plan's rate. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
This is a diagnostic evaluation by a mental health clinician, usually the first visit before therapy starts. It covers history, current symptoms, a mental status exam and a treatment plan, without medical services such as prescribing.
What the price covers
The price covers the evaluation visit. Psychological testing, follow-up therapy sessions and any facility fee at a hospital-based clinic are billed separately.