Good Faith Estimate: your right to a price before care
If you are uninsured or choose not to use your insurance, a hospital, doctor, lab or imaging center must give you a written Good Faith Estimate of expected charges when you schedule care at least 3 business days ahead, or whenever you ask for one. If the final bill is $400 or more above the estimate for any one provider or facility, you can dispute it within 120 days of the date on the bill.
Checked against cms.gov on 2026-09-29
Who can get one
The federal No Surprises Act, in force since January 1, 2022, gives the right to anyone who is not using health insurance to pay for a scheduled service: people without insurance, and insured people who decide to pay themselves. It covers hospitals and other facilities as well as doctors, labs and imaging centers.
When it must arrive
| Booked | Estimate due |
|---|---|
| 3 to 9 business days before the service | within 1 business day of scheduling |
| 10 or more business days before | within 3 business days of scheduling |
| You ask, without scheduling | within 3 business days of asking |
| Fewer than 3 business days before | not required |
So an estimate is also a way to shop: you can ask several hospitals for one before you book anywhere.
What it lists
An itemized list of the items and services you are expected to receive, with their service codes and expected charges, including facility fees. Check that it names the same code your doctor ordered — a knee MRI with contrast (73723) costs more than one without (73721) — and whether the physician's fee (the radiologist, the surgeon, anesthesia) is on it or will be billed separately.
Compare it with the hospital's published cash price
Every hospital must publish its discounted cash price for each service in a public file (45 CFR 180.50). SelfPayRates copies those prices verbatim and links every row to its source file. Look up the code from your estimate and compare: if the estimate is well above the price the same hospital published, ask the hospital to explain the difference — the published number is its own standard charge for self-pay patients.
If the bill is $400 or more above the estimate
You can use the federal patient-provider dispute resolution process:
- the bill is at least $400 more than the estimate for any one provider or facility;
- you start within 120 days of the date on the initial bill;
- you pay a $25 non-refundable administrative fee;
- while the dispute is open, the provider cannot send the bill to collections, threaten to, or collect late fees on it;
- if the decision is in your favor, the provider must lower the bill and the $25 is subtracted from what you owe.
Keep the estimate: you cannot dispute a bill without it. Start at cms.gov/nosurprises or call the No Surprises Help Desk at 1-800-985-3059.
Questions
Do I have to ask for a Good Faith Estimate?
If you schedule a service at least 3 business days ahead and say you will not use insurance, the provider must give you one without being asked. You can also ask for one at any time, even before choosing a provider.
Is a Good Faith Estimate a guaranteed price?
No. It is an estimate, and the final bill can differ. But if the bill is $400 or more above it for any one provider or facility, you can dispute the bill within 120 days through the federal patient-provider dispute resolution process.
Do I get a Good Faith Estimate for emergency care?
No. Estimates are for care that is scheduled or asked about in advance; an emergency visit is not scheduled, so no estimate is required before it.
This page explains federal rules in plain words; it is not legal advice. Your state may give you more protection.