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Florida Law: Hospital Must Give Written Estimate in 7 Days

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Florida's 7-day estimate law

Fla. Stat. 395.301 says a hospital must give you a written, personalized estimate of reasonably anticipated charges within 7 days of your request. The hospital must also post its pricing information and tell you which providers might bill you separately.

How this fits with the federal Good Faith Estimate

If you are uninsured or paying cash, federal law also gives you a right to a written Good Faith Estimate before scheduled care. It must arrive within 3 business days if your care is scheduled 10 or more days out, or within 1 business day if it's scheduled 3 to 9 days out. You can also ask for one at any time.

Florida's 7-day rule and the federal Good Faith Estimate rule are separate. Ask for both in writing, and see which one gets you an answer first.

Where to look before you ask

Every hospital must publish a file of its standard charges — the cash price, negotiated rates, and a list of at least 300 shoppable services or a price-estimator tool (CMS — Hospital Price Transparency). Start there. The Florida Health Price Finder (AHCA) also shows what Florida hospitals and surgery centers are typically paid for common procedures, by region.

How to ask, in writing

Send your request in writing — a portal message, an email to the billing or financial counseling department, or a letter. Include:

• The procedure name and CPT code, if your surgeon gave you one
• The date of the procedure
• Whether you are self-pay or which insurance plan you have
• A request that the estimate list the facility, surgeon, anesthesia, pathology and imaging separately
• A request for the hospital's self-pay discount and, if it's a nonprofit hospital, its financial-assistance policy

If you have insurance, the negotiated rate in the file is only a starting point. What you actually pay depends on your deductible, coinsurance and out-of-pocket max. Call your insurer with the CPT code and ask for a pre-service estimate of your cost, and ask whether every provider involved is in-network.

If the bill doesn't match the estimate

If you're uninsured or self-pay and the final bill is $400 or more above the Good Faith Estimate, you can use the patient-provider dispute resolution process. You have 120 days from the date of the bill, and there is a small fee (CMS — Good Faith Estimates & dispute resolution).

If a hospital won't post its prices, or won't give you an estimate at all, you can report it to CMS (CMS — Hospital price transparency complaint).

What to do next

This is not legal or medical advice, and it never tells you to delay care your doctor says you need. Every number has to come from the hospital, your insurer, CMS or AHCA — confirm before you rely on it.

The free tool reads your own procedure, hospital and payment situation and tells you where to find the price file, which deadline applies to you, and gives you the exact wording for your written request. Nothing you paste is stored.

Hospital Price Lookup explains federal and Florida price-transparency and estimate rights in plain language; it can be wrong, and it is not medical, legal or financial advice. It does not state prices. Confirm with the hospital, your insurer, CMS or AHCA. Nothing you paste is stored.