Your right under the No Surprises Act
Under federal law, health care providers must give patients who don’t have certain types of health care coverage, or who are not using their coverage, a written estimate of the bill for health care items and services before those items or services are provided. This is called a Good Faith Estimate.
Hometown Health Centers provides a Good Faith Estimate at scheduling for any patient who is uninsured or self-paying. If you have questions about an estimate, contact our billing office at (518) 370-1441.
What to expect
- You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any health care items or services on request or when you schedule them. The estimate includes related costs such as medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and facility fees.
- If you schedule a service at least 3 business days in advance, you must receive a written Good Faith Estimate within 1 business day after scheduling. If you schedule at least 10 business days in advance, you must receive the estimate within 3 business days. You can also request an estimate before scheduling; we’ll provide it in writing within 3 business days of your request.
- If you receive a final bill that is at least $400 more than the Good Faith Estimate from any provider or facility, you have the right to dispute the bill.
Keep your estimate
Save a copy of any Good Faith Estimate you receive. If you are billed more than the estimated amount, you’ll need it to start a dispute through the Patient-Provider Dispute Resolution process.
More information
For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit cms.gov/nosurprises/consumers, email [email protected], or call 1-800-985-3059.
To request an estimate from Hometown Health Centers directly, call our billing office at (518) 370-1441 or stop by any of our locations.