The No Surprises Act (“NSA”) refers to new legislation which became effective January 1, 2022. The intent of this Act is to protect consumers from “surprise” medical bills and balance billing, which is the practice of requiring a patient to make up (pay) costs not otherwise covered by their insurance company.
The NSA is ambiguous in its mandates and application toward mental health professionals. To that end, all of the major professional associations have dedicated significant resources into digesting the text of the new law, while also opining as to Best Practices for their members. This includes sample forms for Good Faith Estimates, Checklists, FAQ’s, and the like. This invaluable information has been linked below for your convenience.
In light of the confusion surrounding the roll out of the NSA, we encourage our clients to periodically check back with the below resources for evolving guidance. For practice specific assistance, you may wish to engage the services of personal counsel.
American Psychological Association
Understanding the No Surprises Act:
https://www.apaservices.org/practice/legal/managed/no-surprises-act
New billing disclosure:
https://www.apaservices.org/practice/legal/managed/billing-disclosure-requirements
FAQs on the No Surprises Act:
https://www.apaservices.org/practice/legal/managed/faqs-no-surprise-act
American Psychiatric Association
National Association of Social Workers
American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises
Simple Practice.Com
https://www.simplepractice.com/blog/no-surprises-act-good-faith-estimates/