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Good Faith Estimate

Before you start therapy, you should know what it will cost. If you're paying for sessions yourself, or you aren't billing insurance, federal law gives you the right to a written estimate of your expected charges. Here's how that works at Lisa Chen & Associates Therapy.

Your right to a Good Faith Estimate

Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don't have certain types of health care coverage or who are not using certain types of health care coverage an estimate of their bill for medical items and services.

  • 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.

For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call 1-800-985-3059.

How we handle it

  • Every self-pay client gets one. This includes clients who plan to send superbills to their PPO for out-of-network reimbursement. You'll get it in writing before your first session, and anytime you ask.

  • What it shows: your clinician, the session fee, how often you'll meet, and an estimated number of sessions over the next 12 months, with the service and diagnosis codes the law requires.

  • Therapy rarely has a fixed end date. The estimate is based on a typical course of care for what you're coming in for. If your plan changes, for example moving from weekly sessions to an intensive, we'll send you an updated estimate.

Our fees

  • Free 20-minute consultation

  • Associate clinicians: $180–$300 per session

  • Lisa Chen, LMFT: $425–$500 per session

  • Intensives with Lisa Chen: $600 per hour; other intensives are quoted for your format in your written estimate

Questions?

If anything in your estimate is unclear, get in touch and we'll walk you through it before you book.