No Surprises Act

The Right to Receive a Good Faith Estimate

You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical and mental health care will cost.

Under the law, healthcare providers need to give clients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services, including psychotherapy services.

You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees.

You can also ask your healthcare provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service or at any time during treatment.

If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill.

You may contact the health care provider or facility listed to let them know the billed charges are higher than the Good Faith Estimate. You can ask them to update the bill to match the Good Faith Estimate, ask to negotiate the bill, or ask if there is financial assistance available.

You may also start a dispute resolution process with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). If you choose to use the dispute resolution process, you must start the dispute process within 120 calendar days (about 4 months) of the date on the original bill.

There is a $25 fee to use the dispute process. If the agency reviewing your dispute agrees with you, you will have to pay the plies on the Good Faith Estimate. If the agency disagrees with you and agrees with the health care provider or facility, you will have to pay the higher amount.

Make sure to keep a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate in a safe place. You may need it if you are billed a higher amount.

For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate or the dispute process, visit: www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call HHS’s toll free number 1-800-985-3059.