Good Faith Estimates

Effective January 1, 2022, the No Surprises Act* (NSA) protects uninsured (or self-pay) individuals from many unexpectedly high medical bills. 

•  If an individual does not have certain types of health insurance, or does not plan to use that insurance to pay for health care items or services, they are eligible to receive a “good faith estimate” of what they may be charged, before they receive the item or service. 
•  If requested, health care providers need to provide patients who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services. This includes the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services and related costs for counseling such as tests and fees. 
•  A new patient-provider dispute resolution (PPDR) process is available for uninsured (or self-pay) individuals who get a bill from a provider that is substantially in excess of the expected charges on the 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