Do therapists need a Good Faith Estimate notice on their website?
Yes, if you see clients who are uninsured or paying for themselves. Federal rules require you to tell those clients they can get a Good Faith Estimate of what their care will cost, and your website is one of the places that notice has to appear.
What the rule says
The rule is 45 CFR 149.610, part of the No Surprises Act. It says the information has to be written clearly and “prominently displayed (and easily searchable from a public search engine)” on your website, in your office, and wherever scheduling or questions about cost happen. You also need to mention it out loud when someone schedules or asks about cost, and offer it in accessible formats and in the languages your clients speak.
It applies to clients who are uninsured, and to insured clients who choose not to use their insurance.
Where to put it on your website
The simplest setup is two places:
- A short line on your fees page, next to your rates: “If you’re uninsured or paying for yourself, you have the right to a Good Faith Estimate of your expected costs.”
- A page of its own, linked from your footer, with the full notice. A separate page is what makes it “easily searchable”: Google can find it, and so can a client typing “Good Faith Estimate” plus your practice name.
CMS, the federal agency that oversees the rule, publishes a standard notice you can adapt. Use it as your starting point rather than writing one from scratch.
When the estimate itself is due
The notice tells clients they can ask. The estimate has its own deadlines:
- Within 1 business day of scheduling, if the appointment is at least 3 business days away.
- Within 3 business days of scheduling, if it’s at least 10 business days away.
- Within 3 business days of a client asking for one.
If a client is billed substantially more than the estimate, they can dispute the bill through a federal process (45 CFR 149.620). That’s one more reason to keep estimates realistic.
The website checklist
- A Good Faith Estimate line on your fees page
- A full notice page, linked from the footer on every page
- The same notice posted in your office and on your intake paperwork
New Practice Website Checklist
Every notice and page a new Texas practice needs, on three pages.
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