Good Faith Estimate
In compliance with the No Surprises Act that went into effect January 1, 2022, all healthcare providers are required to notify clients of their federal rights and protections against potential “surprise billing.”
This Act requires that providers notify you of your federally protected rights to receive a notification when services are rendered by an out-of-network provider, if a client is uninsured, or if a client elects not to use their insurance (self-pay client). Additionally, providers are required to give you a Good Faith Estimate (GFE) of the cost of services. This includes details of expected charges when you schedule or request an estimate for services. If a service is scheduled at least three business days in advance, the estimate must be provided within one business day. If scheduled or requested at least ten business days in advance, the estimate must be given within three business days. This estimate is NOT a bill, but shows the expected costs based on known information, excluding any unforeseen expenses. If the billed amount exceeds the estimate by $400 or more, you may be eligible to dispute the bill.
As you may anticipate, it is difficult to determine the length of treatment for mental health care. Each client has different needs and goals for treatment. Ultimately, each client has a right to decide how long they would like to participate in mental health care. The Good Faith Estimate will include a detailed fee schedule for the services typically offered by your therapist.
For those with a visual impairment, administrative staff will communicate the content of written materials concerning benefits, services, waivers of rights and consent to treatment forms by reading them out loud to visually impaired persons.
For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate and this federal requirement, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.