Medical billing glossary
What does Good Faith Estimate mean?
A written estimate of expected charges generally provided to uninsured or self-pay people before scheduled care or upon request.
Last reviewed by Jason Ramirez, a web professional and product founder, not a clinician, attorney, insurer, certified medical coder, or billing specialist.
Plain-English definition
A Good Faith Estimate is a written estimate of expected charges for scheduled health care provided to a person who is uninsured or who is not using insurance for that care. Under federal rules, a provider or facility generally must give an estimate after the person schedules an item or service and must also provide one upon request. The estimate should help identify expected services and charges, but unforeseen or separately billed care can make the final bill different.
As reviewed October 16, 2026, a patient may be eligible for the federal patient-provider dispute process when an initial bill from a listed provider or facility is at least $400 above that provider's estimate and the other eligibility rules are met. CMS states that the initial bill generally must be within the past 120 calendar days and that filing requires a $25 administrative fee. Those details can change, so use the current CMS eligibility tool and instructions. Keep the estimate and bill, compare providers separately, and ask about missing estimates or unexplained differences promptly.
Use the term in context
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Primary sources
Reviewed October 16, 2026. Official guidance, plan terms, and legal protections can change; check the linked source and your current documents before relying on a definition.
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