We have a large HMO and our pediatrician said he was willing to refer us for testing but that we'd have to be willing to say we were trying to rule out ADHD. At that point, I didn't want any mention of anything in his medical records because we knew his teacher was off her rocker. That was the only way the ped said he was able to get it done.
We paid out of pocket for IQ (2x) and achievement (1x). Our total, including a private consultation with the tester each time the IQ was completed was about $900. Our tester has a very small private practice and is also a school psych for a very large school district near us. She had plenty of experience testing gifted children and did a fabulous job.
Our University charges $75 for a GT evaluation (IQ only). It's hit or miss if you'll get a good tester, someone who has experience with little kids (ours did not) or someone who is even interested in gifted issues, let alone has tested a gifted child before.
