Good Faith Estimate

Dear Current And Potential Clients,

The ‘No Surprises Act’ requires a ‘Good Faith Estimate (GFE).’ My fee is currently $215 per 50-minute session, subject to change. My practice is private pay only; I do not charge, bill or engage with insurance companies. I avoid diagnoses when possible. I do not carry balances. The fee for one session must be paid before the next session starts.

A GFE for my services is simple = Fee per session X Number of Sessions.

The number of sessions is determined collaboratively based on a client’s concerns, goals and progress. The number of sessions cannot ethically or realistically be estimated, and certainly not before we’ve gotten to know each other.

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During the pandemic, Congress enacted a “No Surprises Act” which is set to go into effect 1/1/2022. The act is described as “new federal protections against surprise medical bills that take effect in 2022. Surprise medical bills arise when insured consumers inadvertently receive care from out-of-network hospitals, doctors, or other providers they did not choose” (please see https://www.kff.org/health-reform/issue-brief/no-surprises-act-implementation-what-to-expect-in-2022/).

It is highly unlikely this would affect our work together. There will be no situation in which you would “inadvertently” receive care from me or with no choice. Also, the final rules about how to implement this in a practice such as mine have not been written yet by the federal government. I am “out of network” for all insurance companies. I only accept cash, check or credit card payments at the time of service. My fee is stated up front and is predictable. I do not carry balances. The fee for one session must be paid before the next session starts. You may read more about this at https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises.

If we currently work together, you are already aware of my charges and your costs. If you are considering working with me, available information suggests I might need to provide you with a diagnosis before we even meet, which of course would be both unethical and impossible without a meaningful evaluation of your circumstances.

As of 2022, multiple professional organizations are scrambling to understand the details of this law, to whom it applies and how to apply it. Guidance so far is uncertain and in many cases conflicting.

Rest assured that I will be as transparent with you about the costs of the services we agree on together. You will have no surprises here.

This transparency is required by ethical standards by which I have abided for the 10+ years I have been in practice, and simply because it is necessary for us to work well together.

In the meantime, you may certainly ask me about any costs about which you may be unsure, and I will provide you with clear information.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any related questions. My contact information is available under the Contact menu on my website.”