No Surprises Act

Last updated September 3, 2026

Good Faith Estimate & Your Right to know the Cost

You have the right to know what your care will cost before you start. That’s not just a nice idea, it’s the law.

Under the Federal No Surprises Act, health care providers have to give clients who don’t have insurance, or who aren’t using insurance, a written estimate of expected costs before treatment begins. Since my practice is self-pay, that applies to every client I see.

How this works in my practice: You’ll receive a Good Faith Estimate as part of your onboarding paperwork, before we begin working together. It’ll include the cost of your initial evaluation along with an estimate for a course of ongoing sessions, based on my standard rate and typical treatment length. If your care ends up looking meaningfully different than what was estimated, whether that’s a change in frequency or extending beyond the original estimate, you’ll receive an updated estimate at that point.

A Good Faith Estimate is exactly what it sounds like, an estimate, not a contract. It doesn’t obligate you to anything, and it’s not a guarantee your actual costs won’t vary if your needs change.

If your bill comes in $400 or more above your estimate, you have the right to dispute it. I’ll walk you through that process directly if it ever comes up, but you can also learn more or start a dispute through the federal government’s resource below.

For more information about your rights under the No Surprises Act, visit: www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call 1-800-985-3059.