It is worth the money if the results could change what you or your doctor do. It is poor value if your next steps would be the same whatever the numbers say. That one test, applied honestly, sorts most people.
At YoungerMeMD the Comprehensive Assessment costs $775 and the Enhanced Assessment costs $999. Neither is billed to insurance. No test prevents a heart attack by being taken, and we cannot promise that an assessment will improve your health. What it can do is give you and your doctor better information to act on.
Key takeaways
- Testing pays off when the answer would change a decision, such as whether to start or step up treatment.
- People with uncertain, middle-range risk or a strong family history tend to learn the most.
- People with known heart disease, very low risk, or recent equivalent tests tend to learn little.
- Independent reviewers have not found proof that extra screening tests reduce heart attacks or deaths.
- Cheaper first steps exist, and for some people they are enough.
What you would pay
| Item | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive Assessment | $775, one time | Clinical evaluation, advanced labs, Cleveland Heart cardiac panel, written plan |
| Enhanced Assessment | $999, one time | Everything above plus CIMT ultrasound and a coronary calcium score |
| Calcium scan fee | Typically $100 to $200 | Separate self-pay charge at an outside imaging center |
| Ongoing care | $279 and $125 per month | Optional membership and Specialty Treatment Plan |
The assessment is direct-pay. Patients are welcome to try an HSA or FSA card, but the clinic cannot confirm it will be accepted, and it does not provide insurance reimbursement forms. Our cost guide has the details, so we will not repeat them here.
What the money actually buys
You are paying for three things: measurements that a standard checkup often leaves out, a clinician's time to interpret them, and a written plan. The measurements include ApoB, Lp(a), hs-CRP, homocysteine, insulin, glucose and A1c, and, with the Enhanced Assessment, two imaging studies.
None of that has value by itself. A result is worth something only if it leads to a better decision that you then follow through on. Keep that in mind as you read the next two sections.
Who tends to gain the most information
- People in the uncertain middle. If a risk calculator puts you at borderline or intermediate risk and you and your doctor are unsure about medication, more data can settle it. The 2018 US cholesterol guideline advised considering a calcium score when a statin decision is uncertain for someone at intermediate risk.1
- People with a family history of early heart disease. Standard calculators can miss inherited risk. Lp(a) in particular is largely inherited, and expert consensus supports measuring it once in adulthood.
- People whose standard numbers look fine but who carry metabolic risk, such as insulin resistance or weight around the middle. ApoB and fasting insulin can show what a basic panel does not.
- People already on treatment who want to know if it is enough. Many patients use the evaluation to check whether their current regimen is controlling their risk.
Our article on who Cardio Res-Q is for goes into more detail.
Who is likely to gain little
This list matters as much as the last one.
- People with known heart disease. If you have had a heart attack, a stent or bypass surgery, you are already treated as high risk, and screening tests rarely change that. Your cardiologist is the right guide.
- People who have already decided. If you would never take medication whatever the result, or you are already on full treatment and would change nothing, the numbers will not alter your course.
- Younger adults with no risk factors and no family history. Results are likely to be normal. A basic checkup is the better first step.
- People who recently had the same tests elsewhere. Bring those results to your own doctor first.
- Anyone with symptoms. This is the wrong service. Chest pain, pressure, shortness of breath or fainting need medical care now. Call 911.
What the evidence does and does not show
We would rather you hear this from us before you pay.
The tests can sharpen a risk estimate. What is unproven is whether using them leads to fewer heart attacks. The US Preventive Services Task Force concluded that the evidence is insufficient to judge the balance of benefits and harms of adding a calcium score, ankle-brachial index or hs-CRP to traditional risk assessment in adults without symptoms.2 The same review judged the likely harms of early detection to be small.2
A large randomized trial points the same way. In a Danish randomized trial of more than 46,000 men aged 65 to 74, an invitation to comprehensive cardiovascular screening that included a calcium score did not significantly reduce deaths from any cause after a median of 5.6 years.3 That trial tested a population program in older men, not individual care, so it does not settle the question for you. It does show why no one should promise an outcome.
CIMT has the thinnest support of the tests we offer. The 2013 ACC/AHA risk assessment guideline does not recommend routine CIMT measurement for predicting a first heart event.4
Costs that are not on the invoice
- Follow-up testing. An unclear result can lead to more tests, more appointments and more spending.
- Worry. A high Lp(a) or a positive calcium score cannot be undone, and some people find that hard to live with.
- False reassurance. A calcium score of zero does not show plaque that has not calcified. Good results are not permission to ignore blood pressure, smoking or weight.
- A small radiation dose from the calcium scan.
Cheaper first steps
If you have not had these, start here. For some people they answer the question.
- A standard lipid panel, blood pressure check and A1c through your primary care doctor. Check your plan for coverage.
- A 10-year risk estimate. Ask your doctor to calculate it with you.
- A conversation about your family history.
- If your risk lands in the uncertain middle, ask your doctor about ordering a calcium scan alone.
If those leave a real question open, a fuller assessment has more to offer.
If you decide it is worth it: how to book
Go to the Cardio Res-Q program page, select the Comprehensive ($775) or Enhanced ($999) assessment, and pay online. If you would rather talk it through first, contact our team. Refund and cancellation terms are not listed on the program page, so ask about them before you pay.
Are You a Candidate for Cardio Res-Q?
Three quick questions about the risk factors we screen for. Your answers stay between you and the clinic.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Enhanced Assessment worth the extra $224?
It depends on whether imaging would change your decisions. The added calcium score has the stronger evidence of the two imaging studies, and it also carries a separate fee of typically $100 to $200. Our comparison of the two assessments walks through the choice.
Will testing lower my risk of a heart attack?
Testing does not lower risk. What you do with the results might, and that depends on your situation and on following through. We make no promise about outcomes.
Why is this not covered by insurance?
The assessment is direct-pay, which the clinic says allows comprehensive, time-intensive care without insurance limitations. You are welcome to try an HSA or FSA card, but the clinic cannot confirm it will be accepted, and it does not provide reimbursement forms.
Do I have to pay monthly fees afterward?
No. The assessment is complete and stands alone. The membership at $279 per month and the Specialty Treatment Plan at $125 per month are optional.
Related reading
This article is for general education and is not medical advice. Decisions about testing and medication should be made with your clinician. If you have chest pain or other symptoms of a heart attack, call 911.
