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Your Right to a Good Faith Estimate

The information appearing below applies for clients who do not have or decline to use insurance benefits for therapy services. 

Under Section 2799B-6 of the Public Health Service Act ("No Surprises Act") and its implementing regulations, health care providers, health care facilities, and providers of air ambulance services are required to provide a good faith estimate of expected charges for items and services to individuals who are not enrolled in a group health plan or group or individual health insurance coverage, or a Federal health care program, or a Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program health benefits plan (uninsured individuals) or not seeking to file a claim with their group health plan, health insurance coverage, or FEHB health benefits plan (self-pay individuals) in writing (and may also provide it orally, if an uninsured (or self-pay) individual requests a good faith estimate in a method other than paper or electronically), upon request or at the time of scheduling health care items and services. 

Sample Good Faith Estimate

At a standard rate of $175 per session (service code 90837, 90834), a client meeting with me for 48 sessions per year could expect to pay $8,400 for services in a 12-month period. The rate charged does not depend on diagnosis. 

Disclaimer

This Good Faith Estimate shows the costs of items and services that are reasonably expected for your health care needs for an item or service. The estimate is based on information known at the time the estimate was created. The Good Faith Estimate does not include any unknown or unexpected costs that may arise during treatment. You could be charged more if complications or special circumstances occur. If this happens, and your bill is $400 or more for any provider or facility than your Good Faith Estimate for that provider or facility, federal law allows you to dispute the bill. The Good Faith Estimate is not a contract and does not require the uninsured (or self-pay) individual to obtain the items or services from any of the providers or facilities identified in the Good Faith Estimate. If you are billed for more than this Good Faith Estimate, you may have the right to 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. If you dispute your bill, the provider or facility cannot move the bill for the disputed item or service into collection or threaten to do so, or if the bill has already moved into collection, the provider or facility has to cease collection efforts. The provider or facility must also suspend the accrual of any late fees on unpaid bill amounts until after the dispute resolution process has concluded. The provider or facility cannot take or threaten to take any retributive action against you for disputing your bill. 10 There is a $25 fee to use the dispute process. If the Selected Dispute Resolution (SDR) entity reviewing your dispute agrees with you, you will have to pay the price on this Good Faith Estimate, reduced by the $25 fee. If the SDR entity disagrees with you and agrees with the health care provider or facility, you will have to pay the higher amount. To learn more and get a form to start the process, go to www.cms.gov/nosurprises/consumers or call 1- 800-985-3059. For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate or the dispute process, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises/consumers, email FederalPPDRQuestions@cms.hhs.gov, or call 1-800- 985-3059.

More information related to the Good Faith Estimate can be found here: https://www.cms.gov/files/document/nosurpriseactfactsheet-whats-good-faith-estimate508c.pdf

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