Understanding Medical Nutrition Therapy benefits for Medicare and other insurances. I've got you

I am pleased to announce my approval status for Medicare! Private insurance company approval is slowly coming in, so please stayed connected to our website and social media posts.

What's the benefit with Medicare and other insurances that pay for Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT)? The benefit is in-depth individualized nutrition assessment and follow through to help manage certain chronic diseases such as Diabetes and Kidney Disease. One of the greatest gifts our insurance sector offers is health coverage. Insurance companies have learned that patients with chronic conditions, such as the ones listed above, are going to stay healthier longer when they are taught how to control and prevent complications. If you have private insurance (such as through your employer), check with your insurance plan for specific medical nutrition therapy or preventative medicine counseling coverage details.

One of the chronic diseases covered by insurance companies is Diabetes. Approximately 2.8 million people in Texas, or 14% of the state population, have diabetes. Unfortunately, over 660,000 don't even know they have diabetes. In addition, almost 7 million people in Texas have pre-diabetes with blood glucose levels higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. This chronic disease can be scary because you may not 'feel' any different than you did 5 or 10 years ago. Gradual changes in blood sugar over time are often not noticed by the typical person. Don't excuse away poor healing, fatigue, irritability, interrupted sleep, increased thirst, drowsiness and other common symptoms as part of the aging process. Visit your doctor and have some routine blood work completed.

If you have been told that you are now a diabetic it's important to gain knowledge on controlling this chronic disease. Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) provided by an Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) has been show to improve health outcomes for people with diabetes, hypertension, disorders of cholesterol and obesity. During the first calendar year, 3 hours of Medical Nutrition Therapy is available to patients with diabetes and kidney disease. Additional hours of education may be covered by insurance if there has been a change in your medical condition, diagnosis, or treatment and a physician orders additional hours of Medical Nutrition Therapy. If you are pre-diabetic, take advantage of our Diabetes Prevention Program and learn how you can improve your health habits today.

So, how to do you get started? First, contact your primary care physician and let them know that you are interested in receiving Medical Nutrition Therapy at My Time Nutrition. Or call our office today and let us take care of the legwork. I want to help you live the best version of your life today and tomorrow.