Reading an Aesthetic Service Estimate: An Inclusions Worksheet

Start with the written document.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons includes cost transparency among questions to consider when choosing an aesthetic office. This worksheet focuses on one part of that conversation: identifying the items covered by a written estimate.

Copy these prompts into your own notes. Keep the original document beside them, including any page that explains conditions or exclusions. For multiple estimates, label them A, B, and so on. Matching service names alone do not establish that the documents describe the same scope.

Document label: ___; document date or version: ___; exact service wording: ___; page or section reference: ___.

Sources: ASPS: Questions about cost transparency

Use the same four labels.

Choose a label from the wording you can find. If a sentence is ambiguous, keep it as Not stated and write a question. Silence does not establish that an item is included.

1. Included: Expressly included, subject to any stated limits or conditions.
2. Separate: Expressly described as outside this estimate. Copy the wording without assuming an additional charge.
3. Not stated: Missing or unclear in the document.
4. Not applicable: Explicitly identified that way in the document or a written clarification from the office.

Complete the inclusions worksheet.

For every item below, copy this response line: Status: ___; exact wording: ___; page or section: ___; question: ___. Leave unanswered fields visible. Record proposed appointments as written, without deciding how many you need.

1. Service scope: What service is named? Copy any written limits or exclusions.
2. Consultation: Is a consultation listed, and does the document explain whether it is included?
3. Appointments: Which appointments or visits are expressly listed within the estimate?
4. Follow-up: What follow-up is described, and what does the wording say about inclusion?
5. Additional items: Are any other items listed? Record each separately using its exact name.
6. Conditions: Does a condition elsewhere in the document qualify an inclusion? Record it beside the affected item.

Try a fictional example.

Imagine two documents. Estimate A says “follow-up appointment included.” Estimate B says “follow-up available.” These are illustrative phrases, not offers or descriptions of this office's services.

For A, mark Included for that named item and copy any stated conditions. For B, mark Not stated for inclusion. A useful question is: “Is the follow-up included in this estimate or handled separately?” For both, ask what the follow-up wording covers if that remains unclear.

The example identifies a wording difference. It does not establish that the proposals cover equivalent services.

Turn gaps into specific questions.

MedlinePlus recommends preparing questions, taking notes, and asking for clarification when something is unclear. For this worksheet, give each unresolved item its own question and keep the answer with the relevant estimate.

For example: “The estimate lists an appointment but does not say whether it is included. Which wording confirms its status?”

Sources: MedlinePlus: Preparing questions and taking notes

1. Item and document label: ___.
2. Question still unanswered: ___.
3. Written answer and date: ___.
4. Remaining question, if any: ___.

Keep corrections with the right estimate.

When wording changes, save the earlier document and record the corrected wording and date beside the affected item. Ask which document the clarification applies to and whether an updated estimate replaces the earlier one. A later date alone does not answer that question.

Before comparing records, check that each answer still applies to the document beside it. Use the remaining questions to request clarification from the office that issued the estimate.

Use this guide safely

This article offers general education, not a diagnosis or treatment recommendation. A consultation should review your goals, health history, medicines, prior procedures, risks, alternatives, cost, aftercare, and follow-up. Call the office before booking if you are unsure which visit fits; call 911 for emergency symptoms.

Related aesthetic planning pages

Sources and safety references

These references are included for general patient education. They do not replace consultation, diagnosis, or treatment.