Many health insurance companies cover nutrition counseling. To find out if your health insurance covers nutrition, please call the 800 number on your insurance card. Questions to ask are below. We bill under the Nation Provider Identification number: 1790717650. Coverage for nutrition counseling changes frequently so we are unable to provide a list of health insurance companies that cover nutrition counseling.
Generally, if your insurance covers nutrition counseling, a referral form and/or insurance authorization must be received prior to the appointment. Outpatient nutrition is supported by the Patient Service Center (PSC). If a patient requires an insurance authorization or referral for a visit, PSC will contact the primary care physician to obtain it. If a patient's primary care physician declines an insurance referral, PSC will call the patient to let them know. Similarly, if a patient is not covered for nutrition counseling, PSC will inform the patient of this.
If you have Medicare, please note that Medicare only covers nutrition counseling for individuals who are diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, obesity or end-stage renal disease.
When calling your insurance company, ask the questions below:
- Does my plan cover outpatient nutrition counseling? If yes, how many sessions are allowed
- Does my plan only cover visits that are considered “medically necessary”?
- Do I have a deductible to meet first?
- Do I need a physician referral? If you do need a referral, this must be done prior to your session. The physician can fax their referral to FAX.
- What is my co-pay amount for outpatient nutrition counseling? Note: nutrition counseling is sometimes considered as a “specialist” and the co-pay may be different than what is listed on your card.
