Psychiatric evaluation cost in New Orleans, LA
In New Orleans-Metairie, LA, 7 hospitals list a cash price for mental health diagnostic evaluation (intake), without medical services: from $32.48 to $171.82, with a median of $63.42. The lowest listed price is at Lakeside Hospital and 2 other hospitals — $30.94 less than the median here. Across Louisiana, the median is $86.19 at 10 hospitals.
Cash prices at 7 facilities across 3 cities for code 90791, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jun 24, 2026 and Jul 1, 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 New Orleans-Metairie, LA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeside Hospital lowest Metairie, LA Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation | $32.48 | $232.00 | $113.68–$69.60 | 86% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Tulane Medical Center lowest New Orleans, LA Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation | $32.48 | $232.00 | $113.68–$69.60 | 86% | Jun 25, 2026 source file |
| East Jefferson General Hospital lowest Metairie, LA · (504) 988-5263 Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation | $32.48 | $232.00 | $113.68–$69.60 | 86% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Touro Infirmary New Orleans, LA · (504) 897-8247 Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation | $63.42 | $453.00 | $129.45–$84.39 | 86% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| West Jefferson Medical Center Marrero, LA · (504) 347-5511 Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation | $108.96 | $681.00 | $129.45–$681.00 | 84% | Jun 30, 2026 source file |
| Childrens Hospital New Orleans, LA · (504) 899-9511 Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation | $166.32 | $616.00 | $129.45–$616.00 | 73% | Jun 24, 2026 source file |
| University Med Center New Orleans, LA · (504) 702-3000 Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation | $171.82 | $781.00 | $129.45–$781.00 | 78% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $32.48, median $63.42, highest $171.82 — a 5.3× difference within the same market.
Cash or insurance?
At 7 of 7 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 5 it is 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.