Under the federal No Surprises Act, you have the right to clear information about the cost of your care. This law helps protect clients from unexpected medical bills.
For outpatient mental health services, if you are uninsured or choose not to use insurance, you are entitled to receive a Good Faith Estimate of the expected costs for services before your appointment.
At SLC, we provide Good Faith Estimates upon request and as part of the intake process when applicable. Our goal is transparency, so you know what to expect regarding costs for your care.
As outlined in our Client Contract & Consent for Treatment:
- Additional administrative services (letters, forms, phone calls, etc.) are not billable to insurance.
- If your balance exceeds $200, services may be paused until payment is made.
- Accounts unpaid for 90+ days may be sent to our collections agency of choice, which may require limited disclosure of treatment information (name, services, balance).
- Costs associated with collections (e.g., agency fees, court fees) are the client’s responsibility.
- Silver Linings Counseling may offer a temporary reduced rate in cases of documented financial hardship. This option is reviewed on a case-by-case basis, requires completion of a Financial Hardship Form, and is not a sliding scale. Approved reduced rates are specific to the individual client, confidential, and subject to periodic review.
- A payment plan may also be discussed in cases of financial hardship.
Good Faith Estimate Notice
Under the Good Faith Estimate law, health care providers must give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the expected charges for medical items and services.
- You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency services, including psychotherapy and psychological testing.
- Your health care provider must give you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least 1 business day before your scheduled service. You can also request a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule.
- If you receive a bill that is $400 or more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill.
- Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.
To learn more, please click this link → No Surprises Billing Act