Good faith estimate

What does Good faith estimate mean on a medical bill?

A good faith estimate is a written price estimate for scheduled care, meant for people who are not using insurance or who ask for one before booking. It lists the services the provider expects to deliver and what they expect to charge for each. It is an estimate, not a locked price, and it usually covers only the provider who wrote it — the anesthesia group, the lab, and the radiologist who reads your images can each bill on their own. Federal rules also set up a way to dispute a final bill that lands far above the estimate.

What does Good faith estimate usually cost?

The paper you are handed rarely covers every bill from the visit. A hospital estimate often leaves out the doctor's own fee, the anesthesia group, and the pathology or imaging read, so the bills added together can be larger than the estimate.

What should I watch out for with Good faith estimate?

• Ask in writing which providers are and are not included in the estimate you were given
• Compare the final itemized bill against the estimate line by line before paying it
• Ask about the federal dispute path when the bill lands far above the estimate, since it has its own threshold and deadline