No Surprises Act

Dear Current And Potential Future Clients,

Congress enacted a “No Surprises Act” which went into effect 1/1/2022. The act is described as “new federal protections against surprise medical bills that take effect in 2022 and beyond. 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/). Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services.

It is highly unlikely this could 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 even been written yet by the federal government. I am “out of network” for all insurance companies. 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. At this time, 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, I will be transparent with you about the costs of services. You will have “no surprises” here. This transparency is required by ethical standards by which I have abided for the decade+ 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 you will be provided clear information:

• You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees.

• Make sure your health care provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least 1 business day before your medical service or item. You can also ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service.

• If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill.

• Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any related questions. My contact information is available on this website.