You have the right to ask for and receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost. Under the law, health care providers must give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services. This includes your right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services, such as mental health services, which encompass therapy cost estimates along with related expenses like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees.
It's important to note that therapy is a bit different, as we can’t always give a precise estimate regarding how long it will take to address anxiety or work on minimizing depression. A variety of factors come into play when determining what services will be necessary at times. Should a client decide to return for a “tune-up,” the Good Faith Estimate might need adjustments.
You can ask your health care provider, as well as any other provider of your choosing, for a Good Faith Estimate before scheduling an item or service. If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you have the right to dispute the bill. Be sure to save a copy or a 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 281-940-8515.