Good Faith Estimate & the No Surprises Act

Last updated: August 2026

Your right to a Good Faith Estimate

Under the No Surprises Act, health care providers must give clients who don’t have insurance, or who aren’t using insurance, an estimate of the expected charges for services.

You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency services. That includes psychotherapy sessions and related services.

What that means in practice

• You can ask for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule, or at any point during treatment.
• If you schedule a service at least three business days in advance, you’ll receive a written estimate within one business day of scheduling. If you schedule at least ten business days in advance, you’ll receive it within three business days.
• Save a copy of your estimate for your records.
• If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill through the federal patient-provider dispute resolution process.

Balance billing protections

When you receive emergency care, or are treated by an out-of-network provider at an in-network facility, federal law protects you from surprise billing — also called balance billing.

This practice is in network with most major plans. If you use insurance for your sessions, you’ll be responsible only for your plan’s cost-sharing amount: your copay, coinsurance, or deductible.

If you believe you’ve been wrongly billed, contact me first so I can look into it. You can also contact the Texas Department of Insurance at 1-800-252-3439, or visit cms.gov/nosurprises for information about your rights under federal law.

Julie “Jaye” Williams, LPC-S
JW Counseling TX
Arlington, TX 76013
469.672.5472 · jaye@jwcounselingtx.com