You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost.
Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and 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.
- Make sure your health care provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least 1 business day before your medical service or item. You can also ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service.
- If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill.
- Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.
For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call 1-800-985-3059.
How to ask us for a Good Faith Estimate
Tell the front desk at the clinic you plan to visit that you are self-paying and would like a Good Faith Estimate. They will need to know what you are being seen for, so that the estimate covers the evaluation and the expected course of treatment. If your plan of care changes after the evaluation, you can ask for an updated estimate.
If you have insurance and intend to use it, this notice does not apply to you — but the clinic will still verify your benefits before your first visit so you know your copay, deductible and any visit limits ahead of time.
If you are billed more than your estimate
If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than the Good Faith Estimate you were given, you can start a patient-provider dispute resolution process with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. You must start the dispute within 120 calendar days of the date on the original bill. Before doing that, please call the clinic — most differences are a billing error that can be corrected the same day.