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FAQs on Medicare Part B Medical Nutrition Therapy and What is Medical Nutrition Therapy? Through the nutrition care process, medical nutrition therapy (MNT) is a specific nutrition intervention used to treat an illness, injury, or condition. MNT and lifestyle counseling have been proven scientifically to be an essential and cost-effective component in the comprehensive treatment plans in many disease states and disorders.in short, MNT does produce positive health outcomes. >> Back to FAQs What exactly are the health outcomes of MNT? Numerous studies have proven that MNT, provided by a registered dietitian, does produce these much desired health outcomes:
>> Back to FAQs What are the four basic components of MNT that are consistent with the new "Nutrition Care Process and Model"?
>> Back to FAQs For what diseases and conditions is MNT an integral component of the treatment plan? MNT is required for optimal control of many medical conditions and their associated symptoms. It has also been proven to be VERY cost-effective (i.e., yields significant health benefits for very little cost), to lower morbidity and mortality and to produce VERY positive health outcomes for many chronic conditions, especially:
It is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that the application of medical nutrition therapy (MNT) and lifestyle counseling as a part of the Nutrition Care Process is an integral component of the medical treatment for management of specific disease states and conditions and should be the initial step in the management of these situations. To maximize a patient's health outcomes, the utilization of a coordinated multidisciplinary team approach to the patient's care is essential. This is especially true due to the long-term nature of treatment for chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease. A team is typically comprised of a:
In obesity, the multidisciplinary teams have been expanded to include clinical psychologists, exercise specialists, and other allied health professionals. Benefits of such teams have included improved patient safety and clinical outcomes and cost savings. >> Back to FAQs Who is best qualified to deliver MNT? In reporting on the role of nutrition in Medicare, the prestigious Institute of Medicine addressed the issue of identifying qualified nutrition providers. The IOM distinguished between basic nutrition education, which can be provided by diverse professionals, and more complex MNT. Registered dietitians were marked as the "single identifiable group of health professionals qualified to provide nutrition therapy". This recommendation was made on the basis of the specific academic and clinical training of dietitians, which includes nutrition science, food science, nutrient composition of foods, behavioral skills and teaching and learning theory to promote lifestyle changes. In addition to functioning as lifestyle coaches, today, more and more registered dietitians assume roles as directors, case managers and disease management program coordinators for healthcare entities, managed care organizations, corporate wellness programs, etc. >> Back to FAQs Do Registered Dietitians follow proven, standard guidelines when delivering MNT? Evidence-based, standardized protocols for MNT have been written by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics for nutrition professionals who provide MNT in GROUP format, or INDIVIDUAL format. Adhering to these nutrition practice guidelines is also a Medicare Part B requirement for RDs when they furnish MNT for diabetes and renal disease to Medicare beneficiaries. These " MNT Evidence-Based Guides for Practice" have been written for various diseases. They provide a framework for maximizing the clinical effectiveness of the MNT, as the guides outline:
>> Back to FAQs What is the role of MNT in Managed Care Organizations (MCOs)? It is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that MNT is an essential component of disease management and healthcare provided by Managed Care Organizations, and that such care must be provided by qualified nutrition professionals. Today, more and more MCOs and commercial payers are implementing or expanding their coverage of MNT. The reasons for this are:
There is a paramount need in contemporary clinical practice and in today's cost-conscience healthcare environment that patient treatment:
MNT meets all these needs, and thus should be a part of every MCO's and commercial payer's:
>> Back to FAQs Is MNT reimbursed by Medicare? Is MNT reimbursed by private and commercial payers? Medicare Part B reimburses for MNT in diabetes and non-dialysis kidney disease provided by registered dietitians who are certified Medicare providers. Beneficiaries must meet specific medical necessity requirements to be eligible for the MNT benefit. To bill Medicare, the MNT CPT codes must be used: 97802, 97803 and 97804. When these CPT codes became available for use among private sector and commercial insurers in November 2000, coverage of MNT by these insurers has risen significantly, and continues to rise. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics sought CPT codes so that registered dietitians could be paid directly for their services. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics , the three new CPT codes for MNT provided by a registered dietitian were in use by most health plans participating in their commissioned data environmental scan in 2002. >> Back to FAQs Should diabetes MNT be provided to a patient who is also receiving diabetes self-management education? Will Medicare pay for both in the same year? YES and YES. Diabetes self-management education is "the process of providing the person with diabetes with the knowledge and skills needed to perform self-care, manage crises and make lifestyle changes required to successfully manage this disease" (1). It is the cornerstone of care for all individuals with diabetes who want to achieve successful health-related outcomes.(2). In a DSMES program nutrition and meal planning is one of 10 topics taught in a 10 hour program. As such, the nutritional principles are more broad-based, and are applicable to all people with diabetes (e.g., select lower fat foods and count and control carbohydrate foods). Medical nutrition therapy (MNT), however, is a specific and customized nutrition intervention plan, derived by implementing 4 distinct components or steps (assessment, nutrition diagnosis, nutrition intervention and evaluation and monitoring). The ultimate goal of MNT is for the dietitian to develop an individualized meal plan, i.e., one that is appropriate and 'do-able' for the patient's:
In MNT, the patient is monitored in order to assess the need for changes in therapy and to ensure successful outcomes. Thus, MNT is a key component of treatment for diabetes. It also helps prevent and delay this chronic disease when provided in the early stages of mildly elevated blood glucose. Besides providing MNT, the registered dietitian who specializes in diabetes has an expanded role of educating the patient on pattern management; that is, how to use blood glucose data to adjust food intake, exercise, or their diabetes medications to achieve their target blood glucose goals. The support of the entire health care team is instrumental for patient self-care competence. >> Back to FAQs Is there a handy, inexpensive, up-to-date resource that clearly spells out for dietitians, billers and other health professionals how to successfully obtain Medicare and private payer reimbursement $$$$ for Medicare MNT and Diabetes Self-Management Education? YES! The specific coverage guidelines for both DSMES and MNT are outlined in Mary Ann's PPT Resources for professionals titled "Money Matters in MNT and DSMES: Increasing Reimbursement Success in All Practice Settings, The Complete Guide"©, 3rd Edition . This PPT Resources is self-published by Mary Ann, so it is continually updated each and every time Medicare changes the coverage guidelines, and when Mary Ann learns news strategies for insuring payment success, such as an improved MNT outcome tracking system or quality assurance plan. View Mary Ann's Publications >> Back to FAQs Where can I obtain high quality Medicare compliant MNT forms and worksheets? Mary Ann has custom created 20 evidence-based forms
and worksheets for your MNT or DSMT practice! These 'EZ Forms for the Busy RD " are available on this site's >> Back to FAQs References:
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Mary
Ann Hodorowicz Consulting, LLC 12921 Sycamore Palos Heights, Illinois 60465 Office: 708-359-3864 Email: mahodorowicz@yahoo.com |
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and Terms & Conditions Disclaimer Privacy Statement ©2008 Mary Ann Hodorowicz Consulting, LLC Page Last Updated: October 23, 2022 4:02 PM |
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| Mary Ann has a rare combination of consultant to both professionals and the public. She is a well known dietitian in the Chicago , IL area. She travels all over the state of Illinois presenting on health reimbursement - including insurance, medicare and self management diabetes programs (DSMES). Also, she created a health, wellness, health promotion and health education program targeted for companies and organizations who want to demonstrate concern for employee well-being, and increase employee productivity and morale. Dietician Mary Ann consults with corporations and industry as a media nutrition spokesperson in area of food and nutrition. You will often see Mary Ann speaking before large consumer audiences on nutrition for kidney disease, nutrition for cardiac health, nutrition education for adolescents and current nutrition topics. She is a true nutrition expert! |
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