No Surprises Act

No Surprises Act

Under the No Surprises Act, health care providers, including mental health care providers, are required to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an upfront estimate of their bill for medical services.

Originally designed to prevent patients from being surprised by large hospital bills, the act was passed by Congress last year. It went into effect Jan. 1, 2022.

You have the right to receive what’s known as a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of services. If you don’t receive a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least one business day before receiving services, please ask your provider for one.

If you receive a bill that’s at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you have the right to dispute the bill. Please save a copy or a picture of your estimate.

For questions or more information, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call 1-877-696-6775.