As we all know, what we eat can affect our health in all kinds of ways. And, for the 15 million people with Medicare who have diabetes or kidney conditions, this is all the more true. To help people with diabetes or kidney disease learn to eat right, Medicare covers nutrition counseling in full. (Medicare also covers weight counseling.)
If you have diabetes, chronic renal disease or have had a kidney transplant and want medical nutrition counseling, so long as you see a doctor, registered dietician, or other Medicare-qualified nutrition professional who “takes assignment”–accepts Medicare’s approved amount as payment in full–you will have no out-of-pocket costs. And, if you’re in a Medicare Advantage plan, so long as you see an in-network provider—you will have no copays, coinsurance or other out-of-pocket costs either.
Few people with Medicare or their physicians appear to know about the nutrition-counseling benefit even though the benefit has been available since 2002. Only a small fraction of people with Medicare take advantage of it. Kaiser Health News reports that just 100,000 people with traditional Medicare received nutrition counseling in 2017. There’s no data as to whether any of the 20 million people enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans are getting this benefit.
To benefit from Medicare coverage of dietary counseling, speak with your doctor. You will need a referral from your doctor to a registered dietician or qualified nutrition specialist. Medicare generally pays for three hours of dietary counseling during the first year you receive counseling. Medicare pays for an additional two hours of counseling every year afterwards.
Here’s more from Just Care:
- Tips on food with added sugar
- Diet soda is no solution for weight loss
- Herbal supplements may not be what you think they are
- Aerobic exercise may be best medicine for your brain and body
- How to get free or low-cost dental care
Your article seems to indicate there is no time limit on the 100% coverage.The stated medical nutrition therapy covered by Medicare is for a total of 3 hours for one on one counseling service the first year, and 2 hrs a year for each year thereafter. Covers only diabetes and renal failure, although there can be “medical necessity” exceptions made for other conditions, such as an eating disorder—but again, only 3 hours for first year. Now, Medicare also has 15 minute “visits” for this procedure code for medical nutrition therapy, so sometimes the benefit is phrased by the Reps as 12 visits are covered for first year. But for one on one therapy, 15 minutes is not long enough for a “session,” therefore calling it 12 visits a year is misleading
The reason why there is such a small number of people who take advantage of Medicare and the dietician counseling is because not everyone has kidney failure or type 2 Diabetes!!! What about the rest of us who want to get help with our obesity who haven’t reached that stage??? Seems a bit crazy for Medicare to cover only those who potentially are at a last hope for help. It would cost Medicare a lot less money to help people that can still be helped without the extremes!!!