Good Faith Estimate
Under the No Surprises Act
California and Massachusetts
You have the right to know what your care will cost.
I am an out-of-network provider, so most clients pay privately. The No Surprises Act gives you the right to a written estimate of the expected cost of our work before we begin, and I am glad to provide one.
Your rights
What the estimate covers
You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate explaining how much your care will cost, if you are uninsured or if you are insured and choose not to use your insurance benefits for our work together.
Under the law, health care providers must give patients who do not have insurance, or who are not using insurance, an estimate of the expected charges for medical services, including psychotherapy.
You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any services that are not an emergency. This includes related costs such as any assessments or letters we agree on in advance.
You can ask me for a Good Faith Estimate in writing before you schedule a service. Make sure to save a copy of the estimate you receive.
If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill through the federal patient-provider dispute resolution process.
How it works here
An estimate before we begin, and an honest conversation about the length of the work.
Before your first session I send a written Good Faith Estimate that lists my session fee, the expected session length, and an estimated frequency and number of sessions for the coming twelve months. You can read how payment and reimbursement work on the Rates page.
Therapy is not a fixed procedure, so the number of sessions is an estimate rather than a commitment. If the plan changes, you receive an updated estimate, and we talk about it directly rather than letting it arrive as a surprise on an invoice.
For questions about the federal dispute process or your rights, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call 1-800-985-3059.