No Surprises Act

In 2021 Congress passed the No Surprises Act to protect people from unexpected medical bills. The No Surprises Act requires health care providers to give patients who are not using insurance an estimate of expected charges for a health care item or service. This estimate is called a good faith estimate.

Good Faith Estimate

Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who do not have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services. The estimate must:

  • Be in writing

  • Include a list of each item or service and the health care service code

  • Provided at least 1 business day prior to the appointment and no later than 3 days after scheduling the appointment. 

View an example of what a good faith estimate (PDF) may include.

Once you receive a good faith estimate from your provider or facility, be sure to keep it in a safe place so you can compare it to any bills you get later. If you have had your service and find that the billed amount is at least $400 above the good faith estimate, you may be eligible to start a patient-provider dispute resolution process. Learn more about the dispute resolution process, including eligibility requirements and what information or documents you need to start a dispute. The cost to get the dispute process started is $25. 

Psychotherapy and Good Faith Estimate

Psychotherapy as a treatment for mental health does not have a specific timeline for services. Your counselor will provide you with a good faith estimate based on the frequency of sessions determined in your intake call or intake appointment from the date of the first appointment through the remainder of the calendar year. 

Helpful Links