Good Faith Estimates: Your Right to Know Medical Costs in Advance
Last updated: 2026-03-25
By the Medical Bill Reader Team — About the author
Important Disclaimer
This tool provides general explanations of medical billing codes and charges for informational purposes only. It does not constitute financial or medical advice. Always verify charges directly with your healthcare provider and insurance company before taking action.
What Is a Good Faith Estimate?
A Good Faith Estimate (GFE) is a written estimate of expected charges for a scheduled or requested healthcare service. Under the No Surprises Act, healthcare providers and facilities must provide a GFE to uninsured or self-pay patients upon request or when scheduling a service. The GFE must include expected charges for the primary service and any related items or services (such as anesthesia, lab tests, or imaging) that are reasonably expected.
Who Is Entitled to a GFE?
You can request a Good Faith Estimate if you are uninsured, self-pay (choosing not to use your insurance), or if you want a price estimate before deciding whether to submit a claim. Providers must give you the GFE within 1 business day of scheduling if the service is within 3 days, or within 3 business days if the service is at least 10 days away.
What the GFE Must Include
A compliant GFE includes: the date of service, a description of the primary service and each additional service, the diagnosis code (ICD-10), the expected charge for each item, the name and NPI of each provider involved, and a disclaimer that actual charges may differ. The estimate should be comprehensive enough that you can compare it to your final bill.
What to Do If the Bill Exceeds the GFE
If your final bill exceeds the Good Faith Estimate by $400 or more, you have the right to dispute the bill through the federal patient-provider dispute resolution (PPDR) process. You must initiate the dispute within 120 days of receiving the bill. An independent reviewer will determine the appropriate payment amount, and the decision is binding.
Practical Tips for Using GFEs
Always request a GFE before any scheduled procedure, even if you have insurance — it gives you a baseline for comparison. Get GFEs from multiple providers to compare costs. Keep the GFE document and compare it to your final bill line by line. If you are insured, also ask your insurance company for a pre-service cost estimate that factors in your deductible and coinsurance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can insured patients get a Good Faith Estimate?
The legal requirement for GFEs currently applies to uninsured and self-pay patients. However, anyone can request a price estimate, and many providers will provide one. Insured patients can also get cost estimates from their insurance company.
Is a Good Faith Estimate a guarantee of the final price?
No. A GFE is an estimate, and the actual charges may differ if additional services are needed during the procedure. However, if the final bill exceeds the GFE by $400 or more, you have the right to dispute the difference.