A Good Faith Estimate is a written list of expected charges for scheduled health care. It can help you understand the price before receiving care and gives you something specific to compare with the final bill. If you are not sure who to call or what to ask, start with the medical cost call planner.
CMS says that, usually, a provider or facility must give you this estimate when you are not using health insurance and you request one, or when you schedule care at least three business days in advance. An estimate is not a promise that the final bill will be identical.
Do not delay emergency care to request an estimate
This process is for scheduled, non-emergency care. CMS says you will not receive a Good Faith Estimate during emergency care. If you may be experiencing an emergency, contact local emergency services or seek immediate in-person care. A price estimate cannot determine whether it is medically safe to wait. After emergency care, see our guide to understanding a possible uninsured ER bill.
Who can ask for one?
This federal Good Faith Estimate process generally applies when you:
- Do not have health insurance, or
- Have insurance but tell the provider that you are not using it for this care.
If you plan to use insurance, ask your health plan and provider for information about your expected in-network costs. Different protections and appeal processes may apply.
Use this simple request
Ask the scheduling or billing office before the appointment:
“I will not be using health insurance for this care. Please send me a written Good Faith Estimate with the expected charges. Please also tell me whether another provider or facility may bill me separately.”
You can request the estimate on paper or by email. Save the complete document and the date you received it.
When should you receive it?
- Care scheduled 3–9 business days ahead: generally within 1 business day after scheduling.
- Care scheduled 10 or more business days ahead: generally within 3 business days after scheduling.
- Estimate requested before scheduling: generally within 3 business days after the request.
CMS says the federal requirement does not entitle you to an estimate when care is scheduled only zero to two business days in advance. You can still ask what the provider expects to charge.
For a same-day clinic visit, our guide explains what to ask an urgent care center about self-pay costs.
What should the estimate include?
The estimate should contain an itemized list of the expected charges from the provider or facility issuing it. Depending on the care, this may include professional fees, facility fees, hospital fees, or room and board.
One estimate may cover only one provider or facility. For example, a surgeon and a hospital may issue separate estimates. Laboratory work, imaging, anesthesia, therapy, prescriptions, or another specialist may also be scheduled or billed separately.
Ask these questions:
- Does this include every scheduled service?
- Will another provider or facility send a separate bill?
- Are laboratory, imaging, anesthesia, or facility charges included?
- Who should I contact if the plan of care changes?
- Can you send each estimate in writing?
After care, compare every bill
- Match each provider or facility with its own estimate.
- Compare the listed services and expected charges.
- Ask for an itemized bill if the final statement is unclear.
- Question services, dates, quantities, or totals that do not match.
- Keep the estimate, bill, and written responses together.
Our companion guide explains how to check a medical bill for errors.
If the bill is at least $400 higher
You may qualify for the federal patient-provider dispute process if one provider or facility charges at least $400 more than its Good Faith Estimate. CMS lists additional requirements, including that you did not use insurance, received the estimate before the scheduled care, and have an initial bill dated within the last 120 calendar days.
The process currently requires a $25 non-refundable administrative fee. Eligibility and instructions can change, so review the current CMS requirements before submitting anything. Do not send bills, estimates, identification numbers, or medical records to The Health Question.
If you did not receive an estimate
Ask the provider for a copy. CMS explains that a Good Faith Estimate is generally needed to use the federal dispute process. If you believe the provider should have given you one, you can submit a complaint through CMS. Submitting a complaint does not pause or erase the bill.
The No Surprises Help Desk can answer questions at 1-800-985-3059. CMS says assistance is available in English, Spanish, and more than 350 other languages.
What to do today
- Confirm whether you will use insurance.
- Ask each provider or facility for a written Good Faith Estimate.
- Ask what is missing or billed separately.
- Save every estimate.
- Compare each estimate with the final bill.
- Use current CMS instructions if a charge is at least $400 higher.
Official starting points
Sources last checked September 5, 2026. Federal guidance, deadlines, fees, and dispute requirements can change. Verify current information directly with CMS and the responsible provider or facility.
Need to price a lab test?
Use the exact test name, ask who will collect and process it, and compare the complete self-pay charge.
Check a lab test cost without insuranceThis article provides general U.S. educational information. It does not determine what care you need, whether it is safe to wait, what a provider will charge, or whether you qualify for a complaint or dispute process.