Your right to a good faith estimate of your costs.

If you are uninsured or choose not to use insurance, you have the right under federal law (the No Surprises Act) to a good faith estimate of the cost of your care, in writing, before treatment starts. If you are using insurance, additional federal protections may apply in emergency situations and for certain out-of-network services at in-network facilities.

What this means in practice

The honest version.

Shift Support Network is currently out-of-network with all commercial insurance carriers. In-network credentialing is in progress. Until that is complete:

If you have commercial insurance, we will verify your out-of-network benefits before admission. We will give you a written estimate of what your plan is likely to pay and what your share of the cost is likely to be, based on the plan's allowed amount and your remaining deductible.
If you are uninsured or choose not to use insurance, we will give you a good faith estimate of the self-pay cost of the program in writing, at least 3 business days before your scheduled start of care (or, for scheduled care at least 10 business days out, at least 1 business day before, depending on which rule applies).
You can dispute a bill that is substantially higher than your good faith estimate through the federal Patient-Provider Dispute Resolution process.

Balance billing

What we will not do.

We will not balance-bill you above your insurance plan's allowed amount for routine, scheduled, in-network services. For routine, scheduled, voluntary out-of-network services, balance billing rules differ. Federal No Surprises Act protections against balance billing apply specifically to:

Emergency services at any facility, regardless of whether the facility or provider is in-network.
Non-emergency services performed by an out-of-network provider at an in-network facility (for example, an out-of-network anesthesiologist at an in-network hospital).
Air ambulance services from an out-of-network provider.

For routine scheduled care that you voluntarily choose at an out-of-network provider (which is most of what we do), the federal NSA does not prohibit balance billing. We will tell you in writing, before admission, what the expected cost will be and whether any balance bill is possible. There should be no surprise.

The good faith estimate, in plain English

What you should expect to receive.

Before you start treatment, we will provide:

A written estimate of the services we expect to provide, with a description of each service.
The total expected cost based on our self-pay schedule (if uninsured) or your plan's allowed amount and your responsibility (if insured and using out-of-network benefits).
The diagnosis codes and service codes that will be used for billing, where applicable.
A disclosure that the estimate is not a contract and actual costs may differ if your needs change during treatment.

A good faith estimate is not a guarantee of the final cost. The actual cost may be higher or lower depending on services you actually receive, your benefits, and any changes during your care. If the actual cost is at least $400 above the estimate, you may dispute the bill through the federal dispute resolution process.

How to dispute a bill

If the actual cost is much higher than the estimate.

You can initiate a dispute through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Patient-Provider Dispute Resolution process within 120 days of receiving the bill. The federal program is administered by an independent dispute resolution entity. Information is at cms.gov/nosurprises.

You can also contact us directly to discuss the bill before initiating a dispute. We will work with you to resolve discrepancies and clarify any unexpected charges.

California-specific protections

Additional state protections.

California has its own out-of-network protections that may apply to your care, including for emergency services at non-contracted facilities and certain non-emergency services at contracted facilities. These California protections can apply in addition to the federal No Surprises Act. The California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) and the California Department of Insurance (CDI) regulate plans that operate in the state.

For complaints about specific bills, you may contact the federal CMS process or the California regulator that oversees your plan. We will assist with information you need to file a complaint.

Questions about your specific costs

Before you commit to anything.

Call us at (805) 815-6777 or email admin@shiftsupportnetwork.com. We do a benefit check for free, with no obligation. We will tell you what your plan covers and what your share of the cost would be, in plain English, before you make any decision.

Last updated: 2026-05-14.