Good Faith Estimate

What this means for you

• You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency services, including psychotherapy services.
• You can ask me for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a service, or at any time during treatment.
• If you schedule a service at least three business days in advance, I will provide a Good Faith Estimate in writing within one business day.
• If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill.
• Keep a copy of your Good Faith Estimate in a safe place. You can ask for a new estimate if your situation changes.

How estimates work for ongoing therapy

My fee is $170 per 50-minute session. Because therapy is an ongoing service and the number of sessions you choose to attend is up to you, a Good Faith Estimate for therapy is usually expressed as the per-session fee together with an estimated total based on an expected frequency, for example, weekly sessions over a set number of months. The actual number of sessions, and therefore the total cost, depends on your goals, your progress, and decisions we make together. You are never obligated to a set number of sessions, and you can end therapy at any time.

If your bill is higher than your estimate

If you are billed at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you have the right to dispute the bill. You may contact me to let me know the billed charges are higher than the estimate, and we can work to resolve it. You can also start a patient-provider dispute resolution process with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Starting the dispute process will not affect the quality of your care.

For more information

For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call 1-800-985-3059. To request a Good Faith Estimate for your own care, contact me at amanda@amandamcbee.com or (916) 337-8714.