The No Surprises Act sounds straightforward on paper. Healthcare organizations and providers are required to give patients good faith estimates (GFEs) to help reduce billing surprises and promote transparency. But as any healthcare organization knows, meeting good faith estimate requirements is often easier said than done.
Since healthcare organizations were required to give good faith estimates in 2022, avoiding fines and maintaining compliance has proven to be a constant struggle. Due to all of the headaches that arose, many organizations simply aimed to meet the minimum GFE requirements.
Going above the minimum good faith estimate requirements will help you improve patient loyalty, collect more revenue, and enhance the care experience. Our guide moves beyond the basic question “What is a good faith estimate?” to tackle tougher concepts, such as how GFEs can be a lever for winning and maintaining patient trust.
According to the No Surprises Act, the latest good faith estimate requirements for 2026 focus on:
While there haven’t been any groundbreaking changes to good faith estimate requirements from 2025 to 2026, the subtle updates are a reminder that compliance is still evolving. The federal government was supposed to release additional guidance in late 2025, but they pushed that back and haven’t given a firm deadline yet.
Therefore, it’s up to you and your compliance team to prepare for future good faith estimate requirements by going above and beyond. Organizations that do the bare minimum are going to be racing to play catch-up when the federal government finally provides the additional guidance that it has been promising for over a year.
Teaching your team how to complete a good faith estimate should be step one. However, that doesn’t mean you’ve checked the box and can move on to other tasks. Instead, you should treat GFEs like a tool for promoting trust and loyalty. Here’s why good faith estimates are so important:
Examine your existing GFE processes and honestly ask yourself if your organization is doing enough to build trust or if it’s simply trying to avoid fines.
When you do more than meet the basic good faith estimate requirements, you will unlock the following benefits:
When patients know how much they are responsible for paying before you provide care, their payment behavior improves dramatically. Clear, accurate estimates help patients mentally and financially prepare, reducing hesitation at check-in and minimizing post-visit confusion.
Instead of reacting to an unexpected bill weeks later, patients are more likely to pay up front. They may also be more willing to explore patient plans. When you go beyond basic good faith estimate requirements and present estimates in plain language and itemized formats, you’ll see fewer stalled accounts and lower days in A/R.
Billing is one of the most emotionally charged parts of the healthcare experience, and it’s where many practices unintentionally lose goodwill. When you clearly explain costs in advance, patients feel respected and in control of their journeys. They may not remember every detail, but they will remember whether your practice was honest and easy to work with.
Over time, these experiences build positive equity with patients. They will be more open during future visits, especially when your team builds on that transparency with accurate GFEs and openness regarding billing.
Most billing disputes aren’t related to incorrect charges. They stem from surprises. When a patient’s bill doesn’t align with what they expected to be charged, they will feel misled. Your practice could have done everything right in terms of coding and billing, but the patient relationship still gets damaged.
Proactively communicating good faith estimates sets realistic expectations. It shows that you go beyond the bare minimum to protect the patient’s interests. This will help you avoid escalation or billing disputes.
Delivering consistent, accurate GFEs doesn’t have to be manual or time-consuming. Here are some best practices to make this process easier on your team and your patients:
Suppose that an internal medicine provider adopted these GFE tools. They could estimate costs for a wellness visit, lab work, and follow-up. The patient would be able to anticipate their out-of-pocket costs, resulting in better trust and no surprises.
Download a free e-book to learn more, such as The Ins and Outs of the Good Faith Estimate.
Good faith estimates aren’t just about avoiding penalties. They are a tool for building a practice that patients trust with both their health and their finances.
Rivet provides engaging, high-quality solutions designed to help healthcare organizations achieve NSA compliance and better serve patients. Our patient payment estimator allows your team to generate reliable good faith estimates in seconds, reducing confusion and increasing upfront payment collections. With Rivet, you can:
Rivet’s patient pricing tools help you move beyond manual processes. Good faith estimate requirements are here to stay, and the rules are only becoming more difficult to follow. Let Rivet set you up for success.
Schedule a demo with Rivet Health.
