Effective January 1, 2022, a ruling went into effect called the “No Surprises Act,” which requires mental health practitioners to provide a “Good Faith Estimate” (GFE) about out-of-network care to any patient who is uninsured or who is insured but does not plan to use their insurance benefits to pay for health care items and/or services.

The Good Faith Estimate works to show the cost of items and services that are reasonably expected for your mental 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 are entitled to receive this “Good Faith Estimate” of what the charges could be for psychotherapy services provided to you. While it is not possible for a psychotherapist to know in advance how many psychotherapy sessions may be necessary or appropriate for a given person upon the initiation of psychotherapy, the “Good Faith Estimate” provides an estimate of the cost of services provided. Your total cost of services will depend on the number of psychotherapy sessions attended, your individual circumstances, and the type and amount of services that are provided to you.

You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your care will cost. Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for items and services.

If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.

For more information or for any questions regarding the Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call 1-800-985-3059