No Surprises Act 2022

No Surprises Act 2022

PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING CARE ASSOCIATES. LLC
487 Carlisle Drive, Herndon, VA 20170
703-328-4937    info@annemckaycounseling.com   www.annemckaycounseling.com

 

STANDARD NOTICE: “RIGHT TO RECEIVE A GOOD FAITH ESTIMATE OF EXPECTED CHARGES” UNDER THE NO SURPRISE ACT

You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost.

Under the law, healthcare providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services.

You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees.

Make sure your healthcare provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least one business day before your medical service or item. You can also ask your healthcare provider and any other provider you choose for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service.

If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill.

Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.

For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visitwww.cms.gov/nosurprises or call [Insert Mental Health Practitioner’s Phone Number Here].

 

YOUR RIGHTS AND PROTECTIONS AGAINST SURPRISE MEDICAL BILLS – (OMB Control Number: 0938-1401)

When you get emergency care or get treated by an out-of-network provider at an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center, you are protected from surprise billing or balance billing. This provider is an Out-Of-Network healthcare provider.

What is “balance billing” (sometimes called “surprise billing”)?

  • When you see a doctor or other health care provider, you may owe certain out-of-pocket costs, such as a copayment, coinsurance, and/or a deductible. You may have other costs or have to pay the entire bill if you see a provider or visit a healthcare facility that isn’t in your health plan’s network.
  • “Out-Of-Network” describes providers and facilities that have not signed a contract with your health plan. Out-of-network providers may be permitted to bill you for the difference between what your plan agreed to pay and the full amount charged for a service. This is called “balance billing.” This amount is likely more than in-network costs for the same service and might not count toward your annual out-of-pocket limit.
  • “Surprise billing” is an unexpected balance bill. This can happen when you cannot control who is involved in your care – like when you have an emergency or when you schedule a visit at an in-network facility but are unexpectedly treated by an out-of-network provider.

You are protected from balance billing for:

Emergency services: If you have an emergency medical condition and get emergency services from an out-of-network provider or facility, the most the provider or facility may bill you is your plan’s in-network cost-sharing amount (such as copayments and coinsurance). You cannot be balance-billed for these emergency services. This includes services you may get after you’re in stable condition unless you give written consent and give up your protections not to be balanced billed for these post-stabilization services.

Certain services at an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center: When you get services from an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center, certain providers there may be out-of-network. In these cases, the most those providers may bill you is your plan’s in-network cost-sharing amount. This applies to emergency medicine, anesthesia, pathology, radiology, laboratory, neonatology, assistant surgeon, hospitalist, or intensivist services. These providers cannot balance bill you and may not ask you to give up your protections not to be balance billed.

If you get other services at these in-network facilities, out-of-network providers can’t balance bill you unless you give written consent and give up your protections.

You are never required to give up your protection from balance billing. You also are not required to get care Out-Of-Network. You can choose a provider or facility in your plan’s network.