You have the right to receive a "Good Faith Estimate"
Under the law, health care providers need to issue patients who do not 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.
- Your health care provider will issue you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least 1 business day after you scheduled your visit, if scheduled 3 business days prior, or 3 business days after you scheduled your visit, if scheduled at least 10 business days prior.
- 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.
- The information provided in the good faith estimate is an estimate only and the actual charges for the items/services may differ from the estimate. Charges may vary from facility and provider estimates due to unforeseen circumstances including but not limited to complications and/or change(s) in diagnoses and/or treatment plans ordered by your provider.
- There may be additional items or services the convening provider or facility recommends as part of the course of care that must be scheduled or requested separately and are not reflected in the good faith estimate.
- The good faith estimate is not a contract and does not require uninsured or self-pay patients to obtain the items or services from any of the providers or facilities identified in the good faith estimate.
- Save a copy of your Good Faith Estimate.
- You have the right to initiate the patient-provider dispute resolution process, if the actual billed charges are $400 or more in excess of the expected charges included in the good faith estimate. The patient-provider dispute resolution process will not adversely affect the quality of health care services furnished to an uninsured or self-pay patient. You can find information about how to initiate the patient-provider dispute resolution process at www.cms.gov/nosurprises/consumer-protections/Payment-disagreements.