A Good Faith Estimate — or GFE — is your written, personalized projection of what therapy will cost. We provide it to every client who is uninsured or paying out of pocket, before the first session, so you can plan with clarity and consent.
"You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate explaining how much your medical care will cost. Under the 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 services, including psychotherapy."
— Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), No Surprises Act, effective Jan. 1, 2022.
01What a Good Faith Estimate is
A Good Faith Estimate is a written document that lists the services you are expected to receive and their projected cost. It is not a bill — it is a planning tool that lets you know, in advance, what you will be charged so there are no surprises.
It became a patient right under the federal No Surprises Act, which took effect on January 1, 2022, and applies to every licensed health care provider in the United States — including private psychotherapy practices.
02Who receives one
At Rivas Psychotherapy, we provide a Good Faith Estimate to every client who:
- Does not have health insurance, or
- Has insurance but chooses not to use it for therapy (self-pay).
If you plan to submit claims to your insurance company directly — including out-of-network superbills — a GFE is not required, because your insurer will issue its own Explanation of Benefits.
03When you'll receive yours
- At intake — included in the welcome packet alongside informed consent and HIPAA forms.
- On request — at any time, just by contacting our office.
- When the treatment plan changes — if frequency or services shift in a way that meaningfully changes the estimate, we issue an updated GFE.
If you schedule a session at least three business days in advance, your estimate will be delivered no later than one business day after scheduling. For sessions booked ten or more business days out, it will arrive within three business days.
04What's included in your estimate
- The service code (CPT) and a plain-language description of each service — for example, a 50-minute individual session or a 60-minute psychiatric evaluation.
- The fee per session at our current published rates.
- The expected frequency — weekly, bi-weekly, or as clinically recommended — and a projected duration of care.
- A working diagnosis code (when applicable and clinically appropriate).
- Any reasonably foreseeable add-ons — for example, an immigration evaluation report, written documentation requests, or coordination-of-care letters.
- The provider's name, license, and our practice's federal Tax ID and NPI.
- A clear statement of your patient rights and dispute options.
Because psychotherapy is an open-ended, collaborative process, the GFE projects an expected range — not a fixed total. The number of sessions you and your clinician decide to schedule is always up to you.
05If your final bill is higher than estimated
Federal law gives you the right to dispute a bill that ends up being $400 or more above your Good Faith Estimate for the same provider, within 120 calendar days of receiving the bill. The dispute is handled by an independent third party, not by us, and you may continue care while it's resolved.
You can start a dispute at cms.gov/nosurprises or by calling 1-800-985-3059.
06What a GFE does not do
- It does not lock you into a set number of sessions — therapy moves at the pace that's right for you.
- It does not replace an Explanation of Benefits from an insurance company.
- It does not include charges from third parties (e.g., labs, outside specialists, court fees).
07How to request your estimate
If you'd like a Good Faith Estimate before scheduling — or a fresh one at any point during care — reach out and we'll prepare it in writing.
- Rivas Psychotherapy
- Phone: +1 (754) 206-6697
- Email: info@rivaspsychotherapy.com
- Hours: Mon–Fri · 9am – 7pm ET
08Learn more
For the full federal rule, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises. For questions about how your estimate was prepared, contact our office directly — your clinician will be glad to walk you through it.