Good Faith Estimates

Patients who have no insurance, or who choose not to use it, are entitled to a Good Faith Estimate: a written estimate of the services you expect to provide and what they will cost. NeatPractice keeps every version you issue, when and how each one reached the patient, and warns you when the patient is billed well over the estimate.

Estimates live on the patient's chart, on the Billing page under Insurance.

Issue an estimate#

1. Open the patient's chart and go to Billing.
2. In Good faith estimates, click New Estimate.
3. Fill in the estimate:
   • Coverage: whether the patient is uninsured or not using their insurance.
   • Started by and Scheduled or requested on: whether the care was scheduled or the patient asked for an estimate, and on what date. Add First service when the first visit is booked.
   • Covers from and Covers to: the period of care, up to twelve months for recurring therapy.
   • Facility and Treating provider: their names, NPIs and the billing tax ID print on the estimate.
   • Primary service: the care in plain words, such as weekly speech therapy.
   • Diagnoses: the diagnosis codes, when known.
4. Under Expected services, add each service with its code, modifiers, quantity and unit price. Leave Unit price blank to use your self-pay fee for the code on the first day of the period.
5. To list care that is scheduled separately, turn on List services scheduled separately.
6. Click Issue Estimate.

The estimate prints with the required notices: that it is only an estimate and not a contract, that other services may be scheduled separately, the patient's right to dispute a bill that is at least $400 over the estimate, and where to learn more.

Due dates#

NeatPractice works out when the estimate is due from what started it:

• Patient requested: three business days after the request.
• Service scheduled ten or more business days ahead: three business days after scheduling.
• Service scheduled three to nine business days ahead: one business day after scheduling.
• Service scheduled less than three business days ahead: no advance estimate is required.

Business days skip weekends. Holidays are not counted out, so allow for them. An estimate past its due date with no delivery recorded shows Overdue.

Record a delivery#

Open the estimate and click Record Delivery. Choose how it was delivered (in person, mail, email or other), the date and time, who received it and, for a mailed or emailed copy, where it was sent. Deliveries cannot be edited; if you record one by mistake, add a correct entry.

To print the estimate, open it and click Print.

Revise an estimate#

When the expected care changes, open the estimate and click Revise. The form starts from the current version; change what you need and click Issue Revision. The revision is a new version: the earlier version, and its delivery record, stay exactly as they were. The Versions tab lists every version; click one to see or print it as it was delivered. Only the latest version can be revised.

Changing your fee schedule later never changes an estimate you already issued.

Billed against the estimate#

Each estimate compares its total with the patient's self-pay charges dated in its period. When the patient has been billed $400 or more over the estimate, the estimate shows Over estimate, because the patient may then dispute the bill. Review the charges before the patient is asked to pay.

Who can use estimates#

Anyone who can read patient accounts sees and prints estimates. Issuing, revising and recording deliveries needs permission to manage estimates, which the Billing Manager, Biller and Front Desk roles have.