Why Seeing a Registered Dietitian Is Now a Healthcare Standard

Gone are the days where seeing a Registered Dietitian is something only celebrities do and have access to. 

Science continually illustrates that humans are more likely to thrive (and not just survive) in terms of health when nutrition or lack thereof is addressed within the healthcare system. With these ongoing supportive findings, access to professional nutrition education and counseling has become less of a luxury and more of standard. 

We still have a ways to go as a society, but there have been improvements in making nutritional consultation a reality for more people. In turn, better health outcomes occur when patients receive nutritional care from a Registered Dietitian. 

Registered Dietitians are the medically recognized nutrition experts in healthcare. Registered Dietitians nowadays receive a Masters or Doctoral Degree in Dietetics, complete a Dietetic Internship, pass the national Registered Dietitian examination, and keep up to date via continuing education. Whether it be effectiveness in helping patients in preventative care or managing chronic conditions, Registered Dietitians have the knowledge and skillset to help patients get nutrition related results.

Working with a Registered Dietitian can improve health outcomes.

 According the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, “Medical Nutrition Therapy is linked to improved clinical outcomes and reduced costs related to physician time, medication use, and hospital admissions for people with obesity, diabetes, disorders of lipid metabolism, and other chronic diseases. For every dollar spent on a dietitian-delivered lifestyle program for diabetes and obesity, there is a return on investment of $14.58.” Working with a Registered Dietitian can lead to improved indicators of health, including:

• improved weight
• decreased Hemoglobin A1c
• improved health-related quality of life
• decreased use of prescription medications
• decreasing health care costs.

And beneficial news is not just coming from our dietitian professional organization. Physicians and other healthcare providers are endorsing registered dietitians as a crucial part of the healthcare team. 

The profession’s demonstrated effectiveness has culminated in nutrition coverage becoming a preventative benefit (and no longer just a medical benefit) with the majority of health insurance plans across the country. This means that many plans consider services performed by a registered dietitian to fall under a patient’s preventative benefits. Preventative often equals no out of pocket expense to the patient.

Yet so many patients still do not know that seeing a Registered Dietitian is typically covered at 100%, often with no copay, no coinsurance, and no deductible to be met. We want to help get this message out there: Registered dietitians are skilled in helping patients, and in recent years it is becoming commonplace that there is no out of pocket expense to be invoiced to the patient. Thank you to the new(ish) overall excellent nationwide coverage!

These nutrition services benefits exist for good reason, and patients can utilize their benefits. Patients need to know that when nutrition related questions and concerns exist, professional, safe, individualized and affordable help exists and it exists here.

Does your health insurance plan cover seeing a Registered Dietitian for nutrition consultation?

 If a patient would like to formally check their own health insurance benefits prior to scheduling an appointment, we offer a complimentary insurance coverage checklist. Check out the insurance tab on this website, pick up the phone, and call the number on the back of your insurance card. These questions will help guide your conversation with your insurance customer representative with the end goal to get you clear answers on your coverage details. Generally speaking, health insurance coverage to see a registered dietitian has never been better, but you can get concrete answers on your specific plan if you would like to. This can help you feel confident about coverage details before going into an appointment.

I accept many health insurance plans in private practice.

 I am “in network” with many health insurance companies; we are collectively able to care for patients in over 20 states with the following insurance plans: Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO plans, Anthem PPO plans, Aetna plans, and United Healthcare plans. I do all insurance billing “in house” and submit claims directly to health insurances on behalf of our patients.

Getting the nutrition related care you deserve is now affordable, and I am happy to help you on your health journey. look forward to caring for you!