Overview
The No Surprises Act requires healthcare providers to give uninsured or self-pay patients a Good Faith Estimate (GFE) of expected charges before scheduled services. This skill provides the framework to generate compliant GFEs.
Legal Requirement
NO SURPRISES ACT - 45 CFR § 149.610
Effective January 1, 2022
APPLIES TO:
- Uninsured individuals (no health coverage)
- Self-pay individuals (choosing not to use insurance)
REQUIRED:
- Good Faith Estimate of expected charges
- Provided upon scheduling OR upon request
- Within specified timeframes
Who Must Receive a GFE
| Patient Type |
GFE Required? |
| Uninsured (no coverage) |
YES |
| Self-pay (has insurance but not using it) |
YES |
| Using insurance |
NO (different transparency rules apply) |
| Emergency services |
NO (but post-service notice required) |
Timing Requirements
Scheduled Services
| Scheduling Lead Time |
GFE Deadline |
| 3+ business days before service |
Within 1 business day of scheduling |
| <3 business days before service |
Within 3 business days of scheduling |
Upon Request
| Request Type |
GFE Deadline |
| Patient requests estimate |
Within 3 business days of request |
Timeline Example
SCENARIO: Patient schedules appointment on Monday for Friday visit
Monday: Service scheduled (4 business days before)
Tuesday: GFE must be provided (within 1 business day)
Friday: Service rendered
SCENARIO: Patient schedules appointment Monday for Wednesday visit
Monday: Service scheduled (2 business days before)
Thursday: GFE must be provided (within 3 business days)
Wednesday: Service already rendered
→ Provide GFE as soon as practicable, even if after scheduling
Required GFE Content
Mandatory Elements (45 CFR § 149.610)
GOOD FAITH ESTIMATE CONTENT REQUIREMENTS
────────────────────────────────────────
PATIENT INFORMATION:
□ Patient name
□ Date of birth
□ Address
□ Contact information (phone/email)
PROVIDER/FACILITY INFORMATION:
□ Provider/facility name
□ National Provider Identifier (NPI)
□ Tax Identification Number (TIN)
□ Service location address
□ Contact information
SERVICE INFORMATION:
□ Description of primary service/item
□ Diagnosis codes (ICD-10) if applicable
□ Service/procedure codes (CPT/HCPCS)
□ Expected date of service
□ Expected service location
COST INFORMATION:
□ Itemized list of expected charges
□ Expected charge for each item/service
□ TOTAL expected charges
ADDITIONAL REQUIRED STATEMENTS:
□ Disclaimer that estimate may change
□ Patient dispute rights information
□ Instructions for obtaining itemized receipt
GFE Template
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
GOOD FAITH ESTIMATE
For Uninsured or Self-Pay Patients
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
DATE OF ESTIMATE: {date}
PATIENT INFORMATION
───────────────────
Name: {patient_name}
Date of Birth: {dob}
Address: {address}
Phone: {phone}
Email: {email}
PROVIDER/FACILITY INFORMATION
─────────────────────────────
Provider Name: {provider_name}
Facility Name: {facility_name}
NPI: {npi}
TIN: {tin}
Service Location: {service_address}
Contact: {provider_phone}
SCHEDULED SERVICE
─────────────────
Expected Date: {service_date}
Primary Service: {service_description}
Diagnosis: {icd_10_code} - {diagnosis_description}
ESTIMATED CHARGES
─────────────────
┌────────────────────────────────────────┬──────────────────┐
│ Service │ Estimated Charge │
├────────────────────────────────────────┼──────────────────┤
│ {cpt_code} - {service_description} │ ${amount} │
│ {cpt_code} - {service_description} │ ${amount} │
│ {cpt_code} - {service_description} │ ${amount} │
├────────────────────────────────────────┼──────────────────┤
│ TOTAL ESTIMATED CHARGES │ ${total} │
└────────────────────────────────────────┴──────────────────┘
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
─────────────────────
This Good Faith Estimate shows the estimated costs of items and
services that are reasonably expected for your healthcare needs
for the item or service listed above. The estimate is based on
information known at the time the estimate was created.
The Good Faith Estimate does not include any unknown or
unexpected costs that may arise during treatment. You could be
charged more if complications or special circumstances occur.
If you are billed for more than this Good Faith Estimate, you
may have the right to dispute the bill.
YOUR RIGHTS:
• You have the right to receive this Good Faith Estimate in
writing before your scheduled service.
• If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your
Good Faith Estimate, you may dispute the bill.
• You may start a dispute resolution process with the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
• Make sure to save a copy of this Good Faith Estimate.
For questions or more information about your right to a Good
Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call [phone].
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Keep this estimate for your records
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Multi-Provider Situations
Convening vs. Co-Provider
| Role |
Responsibility |
| Convening Provider |
Schedules the primary service; responsible for coordinating GFE |
| Co-Provider |
Provides additional services; must submit expected charges to convening provider |
Convening Provider Workflow
PATIENT SCHEDULES SERVICE
│
▼
┌────────────────────────────┐
│ Identify co-providers │
│ who will provide items/ │
│ services │
└────────────┬───────────────┘
│
▼
┌────────────────────────────┐
│ Request expected charges │
│ from each co-provider │
└────────────┬───────────────┘
│
▼
┌────────────────────────────┐
│ Compile into single GFE │
│ with all expected charges │
└────────────┬───────────────┘
│
▼
┌────────────────────────────┐
│ Provide consolidated GFE │
│ to patient │
└────────────────────────────┘
Single Service, Multiple Providers Example
SCENARIO: Outpatient surgery
CONVENING PROVIDER: Surgeon
CO-PROVIDERS:
- Anesthesiologist
- Facility/Hospital
- Lab services
- Pathology (if applicable)
CONSOLIDATED GFE INCLUDES:
┌──────────────────────────┬──────────────────┐
│ Service │ Estimated Charge │
├──────────────────────────┼──────────────────┤
│ Surgeon fee │ $2,500 │
│ Anesthesia │ $800 │
│ Facility fee │ $4,000 │
│ Lab work │ $150 │
│ Pathology │ $300 │
├──────────────────────────┼──────────────────┤
│ TOTAL │ $7,750 │
└──────────────────────────┴──────────────────┘
Common Service GFE Templates
Office Visit
SERVICE: Office Visit - Established Patient
CPT: 99214
Diagnosis: {ICD-10}
ESTIMATED CHARGES:
- Office visit (99214): $175
- {Additional services if known}
─────────────────────────────
TOTAL: $175
Minor Procedure
SERVICE: {Procedure Name}
CPT: {code}
Diagnosis: {ICD-10}
ESTIMATED CHARGES:
- Procedure ({cpt}): ${amount}
- Office visit if applicable (99213): $125
- Supplies/materials: ${amount}
─────────────────────────────
TOTAL: ${total}
Imaging
SERVICE: {Imaging Study}
CPT: {code}
Diagnosis: {ICD-10}
ESTIMATED CHARGES:
- Technical component ({cpt}-TC): ${amount}
- Professional component ({cpt}-26): ${amount}
OR
- Global fee ({cpt}): ${amount}
─────────────────────────────
TOTAL: ${total}
Lab Work
SERVICE: Laboratory Services
CPT: {code(s)}
Diagnosis: {ICD-10}
ESTIMATED CHARGES:
- {test name} ({cpt}): ${amount}
- {test name} ({cpt}): ${amount}
- {test name} ({cpt}): ${amount}
- Specimen collection (36415): $15
─────────────────────────────
TOTAL: ${total}
Dispute Rights
Patient Dispute Process
When patient may dispute:
- Final bill exceeds GFE by $400 or more
DISPUTE TIMELINE:
1. Patient receives bill exceeding GFE by $400+
2. Patient initiates dispute within 120 days of bill
3. HHS-selected dispute resolution (SDR) entity reviews
4. SDR determines payment amount
5. Provider must accept SDR determination
Provider Responsibilities
| Requirement |
Action |
| Inform patients of dispute rights |
Include in GFE |
| Provide itemized bill upon request |
Within 30 calendar days |
| Participate in dispute resolution |
If patient initiates |
| Accept SDR determination |
Binding on provider |
Record Retention
GFE RETENTION REQUIREMENTS:
- Retain GFE as part of patient's medical record
- Provide copy to patient upon request
- Retention period: Follow medical record retention rules
(typically 6-10 years depending on state)
Workflow Integration
Scheduling Process
PATIENT CALLS TO SCHEDULE
│
▼
┌───────────────────────────┐
│ Ask: Using insurance? │
│ □ Yes → Standard process │
│ □ No → GFE required │
└───────────┬───────────────┘
│ (If No)
▼
┌───────────────────────────┐
│ Collect: │
│ - Service requested │
│ - Expected date │
│ - Patient demographics │
└───────────┬───────────────┘
│
▼
┌───────────────────────────┐
│ Generate GFE │
│ (within timing rules) │
└───────────┬───────────────┘
│
▼
┌───────────────────────────┐
│ Deliver to patient │
│ - Paper, email, portal │
│ - Document delivery │
└───────────────────────────┘
Documentation Checklist
□ Patient identified as uninsured/self-pay
□ GFE generated with all required elements
□ GFE delivered within required timeframe
□ Delivery method documented
□ Copy retained in patient record
□ Patient acknowledged receipt (if possible)
Resources
references/
- gfe-content-checklist.md — Full content requirement checklist
- timing-rules-reference.md — Detailed timing requirements
- dispute-process-guide.md — Patient dispute process details
scripts/
- gfe-generator.py — Generates GFE from inputs
assets/
- gfe-template.docx — Fillable GFE template
- gfe-spanish.docx — Spanish language template
- patient-rights-notice.pdf — Standalone rights notice
