Your right to a good faith estimate.

Why this applies to essentially everyone here

This practice does not bill insurance. You pay directly, which means the No Surprises Act protections for uninsured and self-pay patients apply to your visit rather than being an edge case. It is also the reason the prices are published rather than quoted on request.

Self-pay does not only mean uninsured. If you hold health insurance but are not asking for a claim to be submitted to it, you count as self-pay for this purpose too, and the same right applies to you.

What you are entitled to

You have the right to receive a good faith estimate, in writing, of the expected charges for non-emergency care. That includes the visit itself and any service reasonably expected to go with it. You can ask for one before you schedule, and you can ask for one at any point afterwards.

Ask by telephone on (910) 389-5355, or in person at the office. You do not need a reason and it costs nothing.

When you will get it

If you ask for an estimate without scheduling, it is provided within three business days. If you schedule an appointment at least three business days out, the estimate is provided within one business day of scheduling. If you schedule ten or more business days out, it is provided within three business days.

Two things that come up here specifically

An appointment booked fewer than three business days ahead, including a same-day or walk-in visit, does not trigger an estimate automatically. You can still ask for one, and asking is always the faster route than wondering.

A course of care does not need a fresh estimate every visit. One estimate can cover a recurring course of treatment, setting out the scope, how often, and how many sessions, for up to twelve months. So if Dr. Simaan expects to see you several times, you can have that written down once rather than at every appointment.

If the bill comes in higher

If you are billed at least four hundred dollars more than your good faith estimate for that care, you may dispute the bill through the federal patient-provider dispute resolution process. A dispute has to be started within one hundred and twenty calendar days of the date on the bill.

Asking a question about a bill is not a dispute, and it is usually the faster route. Call the office first.

Keep the estimate

Save a copy of any good faith estimate you receive. It is the document a dispute is measured against.

Where to find the rules

The federal information line for the No Surprises Act is 1-800-985-3059, and the rules are published at cms.gov/nosurprises.