Cost of Services
Compass Health accepts a variety of Medicaid and insurance plans. We also have a number of specialized grants and contracts that allow us to serve specialized populations. In some cases we may be able to provide a sliding fee or other options for those with limited resources, subject to capacity.
You will want to inquire with your health care insurance plan as to your mental health benefits prior to receiving services.
You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your health care will cost
Under the law, health care providers need to give patients an estimate of their costs for health care items and services, before those items and services are provided.
Most Compass Health clients have insurance that pays for 100% of their services; and some Compass services are always provided without a fee, regardless of your insurance.
However, if you don’t have certain types of health care coverage or are not planning to use certain types of health care coverage, and you do have to pay for services, we will provide you with an estimate of your bill for health care items and services before those items or services are provided.
- You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any health care items or services upon request or when scheduling such items or services. This includes related costs of services provided at Compass Health, such as labs.
- If you schedule a health care item or service at least 3 business days in advance, make sure your health care provider or facility gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing within 1 business day after scheduling. If you schedule a health care item or service at least 10 business days in advance, make sure your health care provider or facility gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing within 3 business days after scheduling. You can also ask any health care provider or facility for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service. If you do, make sure the health care provider or facility gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing within 3 business days after you ask.
If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more for any provider or facility than your Good Faith Estimate from that provider or facility, you can dispute the bill. For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises/consumers, email FederalPPDRQuestions@cms.hhs.gov, or call 1- 800-985-3059.
Your Rights and Protections Against Surprise Medical Bills and Balance Billing in Washington State
When you get emergency care, including emergency behavioral health care, you are protected from surprise billing or balance billing.
What is “balance billing” (sometimes called “surprise billing”)?
When you see a doctor or other health care provider, you may owe certain out-of-pocket costs, such as a copayment, coinsurance, and/or a deductible. You may have other costs or have to pay the entire bill if you see a provider or visit a health care facility that isn’t in your health plan’s network.
“Out-of-network” describes providers and facilities that haven’t signed a contract with your health plan. Out-of-network providers may be permitted to bill you for the difference between what your plan agreed to pay, and the full amount charged for a service. This is called “balance billing.” This amount is likely more than in-network costs for the same service and might not count toward your annual out-of- pocket limit.
“Surprise billing” is an unexpected balance bill. This can happen when you can’t control who is involved in your care—like when you have an emergency or when you schedule a visit at an in- network facility but are unexpectedly treated by an out-of-network provider.
Insurers are required to tell you, via their websites or on request, which providers, hospitals, and facilities are in their networks. Hospitals, surgical facilities, and providers must tell you which provider networks they participate in on their website or on request.
You are protected from balance billing for:
Emergency Services
If you have an emergency medical condition, mental health or substance use disorder condition and get emergency services from an out-of-network provider or facility, the most the provider or facility may bill you is your plan’s in-network cost-sharing amount (such as copayments and coinsurance). You can’t be balance billed for these emergency services. This includes care you receive in a hospital and in facilities that provide crisis services to people experiencing a mental health or substance use disorder emergency. You can’t be balance billed for these emergency services, including services you may get after you’re in stable condition.
You also aren’t required to get care out-of-network. You can choose a provider or facility in your plan’s network.
When can you be asked to waive your protections from balance billing:
Health care providers, including hospitals and air ambulance providers, can never require you to give up your protections from balance billing.
If you have coverage through a self-funded group health plan, in some limited situations, a provider can ask you to consent to waive your balance billing protections, but you are never required to give your consent. Please contact your employer or health plan for more information.
When balance billing isn’t allowed, you also have the following protections:
You are only responsible for paying your share of the cost (like the copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles that you would pay if the provider or facility was in-network). Your health plan will pay out-of-network providers and facilities directly.
Your health plan generally must:
- Cover emergency services without requiring you to get approval for services in advance (prior authorization).
- Cover emergency services by out-of-network
- Base what you owe the provider or facility (cost-sharing) on what it would pay an in- network provider or facility and show that amount in your explanation of benefits.
- Count any amount you pay for emergency services or out-of-network services toward your deductible and out-of-pocket limit.
If you believe you’ve been wrongly billed, you may file a complaint with the federal government at or by calling 1-800-985-3059; and/or file a complaint with the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner at their website or by calling 1-800-562- 6900.
Visit https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises for more information about your rights under federal law.
Visit the Office of the Insurance Commissioner Balance Billing Protection Act website for more information about your rights under Washington state law.