Legal & Policy
No Surprises Act & Good Faith Estimate Notice
The No Surprises Act is a federal law designed to protect patients from certain unexpected medical bills and improve transparency regarding healthcare costs.
At Cogniscribe Psychological Services, we believe patients should have clear information about the expected costs of psychological assessment and psychotherapy before receiving services.
Depending on your insurance status and the services you receive, you may have protections against surprise medical bills and the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate of expected charges.
Protection Against Surprise Medical Bills
Surprise medical bills can occur when patients unexpectedly receive services from an out-of-network healthcare provider, particularly during emergency care or certain services provided at an in-network hospital or facility.
Under the No Surprises Act, patients are protected from certain types of surprise billing, including qualifying emergency services and certain non-emergency services provided by out-of-network professionals at in-network facilities.
These protections generally limit what patients can be charged beyond their applicable in-network cost-sharing obligations.
Not every out-of-network service is covered by these protections. Patients receiving services in a private outpatient practice should confirm their insurance benefits and the provider’s network participation before receiving care.
For additional information, visit the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services No Surprises Act website.
Your Right to a Good Faith Estimate
You Have the Right to Receive a Good Faith Estimate Explaining How Much Your Healthcare Will Cost
Under federal law, healthcare providers are generally required to provide a Good Faith Estimate of expected charges to patients who do not have health insurance or who choose not to use their insurance to pay for services.
A Good Faith Estimate provides information about the anticipated costs of healthcare services before those services are provided.
At Cogniscribe, this may include psychological evaluations, psychological testing, psychotherapy, and other services provided on a self-pay basis.
What Does a Good Faith Estimate Include?
Your Good Faith Estimate will include an itemized description of the services reasonably expected to be provided and their anticipated charges.
For psychological evaluations, this may include:
- Clinical interviews and diagnostic assessment
- Psychological test administration and scoring
- Interpretation and integration of assessment results
- Psychological report preparation
- Feedback sessions and recommendations
For psychotherapy, the estimate may include the anticipated cost of sessions over the applicable period of care.
A Good Faith Estimate is not a bill or a contract. Actual services and charges may differ if your clinical needs or treatment plan change.
When Will I Receive a Good Faith Estimate?
If you are uninsured or choosing not to use your insurance:
- Services scheduled at least 3 business days in advance: You generally must receive a Good Faith Estimate within 1 business day after scheduling.
- Services scheduled at least 10 business days in advance: You generally must receive a Good Faith Estimate within 3 business days after scheduling.
- Estimates requested before scheduling: You generally must receive a Good Faith Estimate within 3 business days of your request.
You may request a Good Faith Estimate at any time before receiving services.
What If My Final Bill Is Higher Than My Estimate?
If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate from a particular provider or facility, you may have the right to dispute the charges through the federal patient-provider dispute resolution process.
You generally must initiate the dispute within 120 calendar days of receiving your initial bill.
An independent third party will review the estimate, the charges, and other relevant information.
Initiating a dispute will not adversely affect the quality of healthcare services you receive.
For additional information, visit Dispute a Medical Bill — CMS.
Patients Using Health Insurance
If you plan to use health insurance for psychological assessment or psychotherapy, your financial responsibility may depend on your individual plan’s benefits, deductible, copayments, coinsurance, authorization requirements, and other coverage provisions.
Cogniscribe participates with several insurance networks. However, participation with an insurance network does not guarantee that every service will be covered under every plan.
Our team can assist with reviewing your insurance information before scheduling.
Insurance benefit verification is not a guarantee of coverage or payment.
The Good Faith Estimate requirements described above generally apply to patients who are uninsured or who choose not to use insurance for their care.
Request a Good Faith Estimate
If you are uninsured, plan to pay privately for psychological assessment or psychotherapy, or would like additional information about the expected cost of services, please contact Cogniscribe Psychological Services.
We can provide information about our fees and, when applicable, a written Good Faith Estimate of expected charges.
Additional Information
For more information about your rights under the No Surprises Act, visit cms.gov/nosurprises.
You may also contact the federal No Surprises Help Desk at 1-800-985-3059.
Cogniscribe Psychological Services
705 E Bidwell St, Suite 2-288
Folsom, CA 95630
Email: privacy@cogniscribepsychology.com