Providers must furnish ‘good-faith’ price estimates to self-pay patients starting next year
Regulations that would require providers to also give good-faith estimates to health plans won’t take effect in 2022 as previously scheduled. A newly issued federal rule on surprise billing includes regulations designed to improve price transparency for self-pay patients starting in 2022. The interim final rule with comment period (IFC) requires providers to ask about a patient’s coverage status at the time a service is scheduled. If the patient does not have insurance, “a good-faith estimate” of expected charges for items and services must be provided — generally within three business days. The requirement also applies if the patient has insurance but does not intend to submit a claim. The rule states that the estimate must include “any items or services that are reasonably expected to be provided in conjunction with scheduled or requested items or services and such items or services reasonably expected to be so provided by another healthcare provider or healthcare facility” along wi