Is a promo-price ADHD assessment still valid for insurance claims?
Quick answer
Yes. A discount changes the price, not the nature of the service, so a promo-price assessment is submitted to an insurer or claimed on your taxes exactly like a full-price one. What you can claim is the amount you actually paid, shown on the receipt, never the regular price. Whether the plan pays anything at all still depends on its provider categories and limits, which are unaffected by the discount.
A discount changes the price, not whether the service is claimable
Insurers assess a claim on what the service was and who provided it, and a promotional price alters neither. An assessment by a licensed nurse practitioner working with Finding Focus, conducted by video using DSM-5-TR criteria and CADDRA-aligned practice, is the same clinical service whether the invoice reads $399 or a reduced figure. If your extended health plan reimburses that provider type, it reimburses the discounted assessment; if it does not, the regular price would not have been reimbursed either.
The Canada Revenue Agency takes the same view for the medical expense tax credit. Its rules turn on whether the fee was paid to a medical practitioner authorized in the province where the service was rendered, and on the amount actually paid. Nothing in the eligible expense rules distinguishes a discounted fee from a full one. Whether any assessment is covered by a given plan is a separate question, answered at Does insurance cover an ADHD assessment in Canada?.
The receipt must show what you actually paid, and you claim only that
The figure on the receipt is the ceiling for every claim, so a promo-price assessment must be claimed at the promo price. Submitting a receipt that shows the regular price when you paid less is a misrepresentation to the insurer, and the same applies to a tax claim. A proper receipt for a discounted service shows the regular fee, the discount as a line, and the net amount paid, or simply the net amount; either is acceptable as long as the amount paid is unambiguous.
- Patient name and date of service. Manulife's CoverMe claims information lists these as required on every non-drug receipt, along with a description of the service and the cost of each service.
- Provider identity and address. The clinician's name, designation and registration number, and the clinic's address, so the plan can match the service to a covered category.
- Amount paid and currency. If a promotion was applied, the receipt should make the net figure obvious. Ask for a corrected receipt if it does not.
- Payment confirmation. Keep the card statement as backup; it is not a substitute for the receipt, but it corroborates the amount.
What the clinic can put on a receipt, and what to ask for, is covered at Can I get a receipt for insurance for an online ADHD assessment?.
Whether the plan pays depends on the provider category, not the price
The question a claims examiner asks is which benefit line the service belongs to, and the discount does not enter into it. For a Finding Focus assessment, the provider is a nurse practitioner, and plans vary on whether nurse practitioner services are a listed paramedical or virtual care benefit. For a psychologist's assessment, most plans have a psychology line but may cap it at a per-visit amount well below an assessment fee, and some require physician authorization; Manulife's CoverMe personal plans, for example, require the attending physician to authorize psychologist services before a claim is considered.
| Step | What the plan checks | Effect of the discount |
|---|---|---|
| Eligibility | Is the provider designation covered under the plan? | None |
| Receipt review | Patient, date, service, provider, amount paid | Amount paid is the discounted figure |
| Limits | Per-visit maximum, annual maximum, deductible | Applied to the discounted amount; a smaller fee may fit inside a per-visit cap |
| Coordination | Second plan, if any, pays only up to the remaining balance | Total reimbursement cannot exceed what you paid |
One practical consequence is that a smaller fee can sit entirely inside a per-visit maximum that a full fee would exceed. The details of what an assessment fee includes are at What's included in the price of an ADHD assessment?.
The Finding Focus already-diagnosed discount works the same way
People who were diagnosed with ADHD elsewhere may qualify for 50% off the initial consultation with Finding Focus, subject to conditions, and the receipt for that consultation shows the reduced amount paid. Everything above applies: the service is the same consultation with a licensed nurse practitioner or clinician, the receipt names the provider and the net fee, and any plan that covers the provider type considers the discounted amount. Documents ordered afterward, such as the $49 standard diagnosis letter or the $99 healthcare-provider report, are separate items on separate receipts, and plans treat document fees differently from clinical services.
Students with a university or college plan should also read Is an ADHD assessment covered by student health insurance?, because student plans have their own provider lists and low annual caps that a discounted fee may fit within.
For the tax credit, claim the net fee less anything an insurer paid
On your tax return the claimable amount is the discounted fee minus any reimbursement you received or will receive. The CRA states that you can claim only the part of an expense that you or someone else have not been and will not be reimbursed for, and that receipts must show the name of the person or company paid. The credit then applies to the total of your eligible medical expenses above the lesser of 3% of net income or $2,834 for the 2025 tax year, for any 12-month period ending in the year.
The CRA's technical folio on the credit defines medical services as diagnostic, therapeutic or rehabilitative services performed by a medical practitioner within their professional scope, and confirms that virtual services qualify when the practitioner is authorized in the jurisdiction where the service is rendered. An ADHD assessment is a diagnostic service; a promotional price does not change that classification.
Deadlines and coordination rules apply regardless of price
A promo-price receipt expires for claims purposes at the same time as any other. Manulife CoverMe, for example, must receive all claim information within 12 months of the date you paid; group plans often use a shorter window tied to the benefit year. If you and a partner both have plans, submit to your own plan first and the partner's plan second, with the first plan's explanation of benefits attached; together they will pay no more than the discounted amount you actually spent. Keep the receipt for six years after filing a tax claim in case the CRA asks to see it.
Common questions
Related questions, answered
No. Claims are assessed on the provider's designation and the service described on the receipt, not on the price. A reduced fee is common for promotions, returning patients or sliding scales, and insurers see them routinely. What matters is that the receipt is accurate and complete. The clinical content of a Finding Focus assessment is identical at any price, and the assessment can conclude that a person does not have ADHD.
No. A health spending account reimburses eligible medical expenses you actually incurred, so the claimable amount is what you paid. Submitting a higher figure than the amount paid is a false claim, and administrators compare receipts against payment records. If your account has an unused balance you want to use, apply it to other eligible expenses such as documents, follow-up visits or prescriptions rather than inflating an assessment claim.
The same principle applies: you claim the amount you paid out of your own funds. If a gift card bought by someone else covered part of the fee, that portion was not your expense. If a referral credit reduced the price, the receipt should show the net amount. When in doubt, ask the clinic to itemize the receipt so the amount you personally paid is clear, and claim that figure only.
Yes. The assessment follows the same process, results and a treatment plan are often available within hours, and the same documents can be ordered afterward at their standard fees. The already-diagnosed discount applies to the initial consultation only and is subject to conditions, so confirm eligibility before booking. Document fees, ongoing care fees and therapy fees are unaffected by the initial discount.
Helpful next steps
References
- 1.Manulife CoverMe, Claims information (receipt requirements, physician authorization, claim deadline) View source ↗
- 2.Canada Revenue Agency, Lines 33099 and 33199, Eligible medical expenses you can claim on your tax return View source ↗
- 3.Canada Revenue Agency, Income Tax Folio S1-F1-C1, Medical Expense Tax Credit View source ↗
- 4.Canada Revenue Agency, Authorized medical practitioners for the purposes of the medical expense tax credit View source ↗
This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a licensed healthcare professional about your individual situation. If you are in crisis or thinking about self-harm, call or text 9-8-8, Canada’s Suicide Crisis Helpline, at any time.
Finding Focus uses AI tools to help research and draft some articles. Every article is edited and fact-checked by the Finding Focus team before publication. See our editorial and medical review policy.
