If you are interested in bettering your nutrition habits, you may not know where to start. Let’s face it – It is hard to navigate the confusing world of nutrition on your own. If you are looking for some help, you may be wondering: Should you work with a nutritionist or a dietitian? Does insurance cover a nutritionist?
The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of insurance coverage for nutrition services, to review the conditions often covered under major insurances, to help determine your coverage, and to connect you with dietitians that take insurance.
Are nutritionists covered by insurance?
Yes, many major insurance providers do offer coverage for nutrition services, but only a licensed registered dietitian nutritionist is covered by insurance and legally eligible to provide medical nutrition therapy. To fully understand insurance coverage, it is important to recognize the distinction between a nutritionist and a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN).
Registered dietitian nutritionists are board-certified through the Commission on Dietetics Registration (CDR) following the successful completion of an accredited educational program, supervised practice hours, and CDR’s Registration Examination for Registered Dietitians. To maintain their credentials, dietitians are required to complete ongoing continuing education credits. Dietitians will choose to specialize in various areas of nutrition and dietetics including clinical nutrition, eating disorders, and more. Most states require that registered dietitian nutritionists seek additional state license in order to use titles including “dietitian, nutritionist, dietitian nutritionist, licensed dietitian nutritionist” and other variations.
Alternatively, general nutritionists have no unique educational, professional, or credentialing requirements. Nutritionists are not covered by insurance.
Why should you work with a registered dietitian nutritionist?
There are many benefits to working with a dietitian including:
- Personalized nutrition counseling,
- Tailored nutrition education regarding your unique needs,
- Behavioral and lifestyle modification counseling,
- Dietary management of chronic diseases,
- Lifestyle enhancement, and
- Increased accountability to reaching your health goals!
Registered dietitians help to prevent and manage disease states including prediabetes or diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, digestive issues, eating disorders, and more. Dietitians also can help enhance quality of life through nutrition counseling for general nutrition, pre- and post-natal, mental health, healthy aging, or sports nutrition. A dietitian can help you to navigate the confusing world flooded with nutrition advice to find what works for you. Plus, working with a dietitian may come at little to no cost, depending on your insurance plan.
Does insurance pay for a registered dietitian nutritionist?
Yes, under most major policies, insurance will pay for a registered dietitian nutritionist. Based on the research conducted by insurance companies, nutrition counseling by a qualified registered dietitian nutritionist is effective in improving health outcomes and therefore is worthwhile to cover. Dietitian insurance coverage varies from plan to plan. Take a look at the helpful guide below to see what conditions may be covered under most major policies.
Does Anthem Cover registered dietitian nutritionists?
Yes, Anthem typically covers nutrition counseling by a registered dietitian nutritionist. Common conditions covered include obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, eating disorders, pregnancy, and digestive disorders. Conditions coverage and terms may vary by plan.
Does Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) Cover registered dietitian nutritionists?
Yes, Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) covers nutrition counseling by registered dietitian nutritionists for conditions including overweight and obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and more. BCBS may also provide preventative nutrition coverage, which may be used for general nutrition counseling, or specialized nutrition counseling such as for sports nutrition.
Does Medicaid cover registered dietitian nutritionists?
Sometimes Medicaid covers nutrition counseling by a registered dietitian nutritionist, though coverage varies by plan and state. Medicaid may cover a registered dietitian nutritionist in California, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Texas, and Vermont. Other states do not recognize registered dietitian nutritionists as Medicaid providers. Although some state policies do not cover nutrition services, medicaid beneficiaries may still be eligible to work with registered dietitian nutritionists that take medicaid through federal programs such as the diabetes self-management program.
Does Medicare cover registered Dietitian Nutritionists?
Yes, Medicare Part B covers nutrition counseling by a registered dietitian nutritionist for diabetes, kidney disease stages 3a-5 (non-dialysis), and kidney transplantation within the last three years. Of note, medicare beneficiaries must be referred by a physician and coverage is limited to two to three hours per year.
Does Aetna insurance cover registered dietitian nutritionists?
Yes, Aetna insurance covers nutrition counseling by a registered dietitian nutritionist. Aetna nutritionist coverage may be utilized by children and adults with obesity, for adults who are overweight and have additional cardiovascular risk factors, and for chronic disease states that are strongly influenced by dietary patterns including diabetes mellitus, eating disorders, and more. For a complete list of diagnoses that are eligible for coverage under aetna insurance, click here.
How do I know if my registered dietitian nutritionist is covered by insurance?
Health Loft makes it easy to determine if your registered dietitian nutritionist is covered by insurance. Simply complete an eligibility check through our online form submission. To determine your unique coverage terms, review your Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) on your plans Evidence of Coverage (EOC). Alternatively, give your insurance provider a call to verify your benefits and terms regarding coverage.
What does a dietitian cost with insurance?
The cost of your visit will vary depending on your insurance plan. Based on your policy, some nutrition services may be entirely covered at 100% with no out of pocket cost, while other policies require you meet your deductible before covering sessions. Others may require that you pay a copay.
How to find a dietitian covered by insurance
Health Loft will match you with an in-network dietitian covered by your insurance who will meet your specific needs based on your condition. Health Loft’s highly-specialized dietitians are in-network with most major insurances including Aetna, BCBS, Cigna, United Health Care, United Student Resources, and Medicare.
Although most insurances do cover dietitians, not all dietitians are in-network with insurance companies, and out-of-pocket nutrition service fees can add up quickly. Some insurance policies may allow you to work with out-of-network dietitians, as long as a superbill is provided for insurance reimbursement of nutrition counseling. The easiest way to receive coverage for nutrition services is to work directly with an in-network provider, such as a Heath Loft registered dietitian nutritionist covered by insurance. Health Loft’s team will take care of the communication with insurance for you, so that you can focus on what really matters – getting healthy!
Key Takeaways
- Registered dietitian nutritionists are ethically and legally eligible to provide specialized nutrition services. Registered dietitian nutritionists are covered by insurance.
- Nutritionists do not uphold licensure standards and are not covered by insurance.
- Insurance coverage varies between each insurance provider and plan. Most major insurance providers provide registered dietitian nutritionist insurance coverage. To verify your benefits and cost of services, complete the online verification form through Health Loft, or call your insurance provider directly.
- Not all registered dietitian nutritionists accept insurance.
- Health Loft providers are nutritionists (dietitians) covered by insurance. Find a dietitian that meets your specialized needs here, and get started today!
