Glossary of Terms

1. In Medicare, what are National Coverage Determinations (NCDs)? How they different from Local Medical Review Policies (LMRPs)?
2. What is a Medicare contractor?
3. What is the MNT benefit? What's specifically is covered in the Medicare MNT benefit?
4. Can payment for Medicare covered MNT be made for all beneficiaries who meet the diagnostic criteria?
5. Since home health services are under Medicare Part A, can a RD or nutrition professional (NP) provide Medicare covered MNT, a Part B benefit, to beneficiaries receiving services in a home health agency?
6. Are the MNT and DSMT benefits coordinated in any way? If a beneficiary receives one, can he/she receive the other? If one is received, is the other benefit reduced?
7. What are the number of hours allowed for initial DSMT and initial MNT?
8. What are the number of hours allowed for follow-up DSMT and follow-up MNT?
9. Is there a difference between MNT and the nutrition topic in a DSMT program?
10. Is there any stipulation that Medicare DSMT must be provided before the Medicare MNT or visa versa?
11. Should the nutrition component provided within a DSMT program be billed or viewed any differently now that the MNT benefit is effective?
12. Can a registered dietitian who is one of the multi-disciplinary team members in an accredited DSMT program also provide and bill for Medicare MNT?
13. Can RDs and Nutrition Professionals (NPs) bill for MNT on the same date of service as the doctor visit?
14. Can a registered dietitian who is a Medicare provider with a PIN and is also a multi-disciplinary team member in an accredited DSMT program use her/his PIN to bill for DSMT? 
15. Who can make a referral for MNT and DSMT?
16. What are the key differences in coding and billing requirements for the MNT and DSMT benefits?
17. What claims processing forms should be used for the DSMT and MNT benefits?
18. Are there protocols that RDs and Nutrition Professionals (NPs) must follow in providing MNT?
19. What will be the allotted MNT benefit if a beneficiary has both diabetes and renal disease?
20. Can Medicare MNT in a hospital outpatient department, clinic setting or physician office be billed as "incident to physician's services"?
21. What Medicare forms should be used by registered dietitians and nutrition professionals (NPs) to become qualified Medicare providers?
22. Does the RD or nutritional professional (N/P) need to complete Section 2F, "Supervising and/or Collaborating Physicians" section on the CMS 855I Form (physician's name, social security number and UPIN)?
23. Can the RD or nutrition professional (NP) use one fee for billing Medicare for covered MNT and use another, higher fee for billing non-covered MNT to the beneficiary's secondary insurance? Can the RD's/NP's MNT fees be different for non-Medicare and Medicare patients?
24. Based on the above Q&A, then, is the registered dietitian or nutrition professional (NP) who becomes a Medicare provider required to reduce her/his usual and customary fee across the board, and bill this lower fee to all payers for all MNT?
25. Can the RD or nutrition professional (NP) who becomes a Medicare provider choose not to bill Medicare for covered MNT?
26. Can the registered dietitian or nutrition professional (NP) who does NOT become a Medicare provider bill Medicare or bill the beneficiary for covered MNT?
27. Does a RD or nutrition professional (NP) have to be a CDCES or have any specialized training in diabetes to provide MNT for diabetes and non-dialysis kidney disease?
28. Does a beneficiary need a referral for MNT services?
29. Can RDs or nutrition professionals (NPs) provide MNT services at renal dialysis facilities to qualifying Medicare beneficiaries with NON-dialysis kidney disease?
30. What are Medicare's current payment rates for MNT?
31. If a RD or nutrition professional (NP) works as an employee in a hospital and furnishes diabetes or renal MNT to beneficiaries, and the hospital bills Medicare under its provider number, does the RD/NP need to have her/his own Medicare provider number?
32. If a RD/NP is a Medicare Provider with his/her own PIN, and after a period of time, no longer wants to be a Medicare Provider, what should the RD/NP do?
33. What is an 'Advanced Beneficiary Notice' or ABN?
34. Do all Medicare beneficiaries have to sign an ABN before receipt of the MNT, or before receipt of any Medicare-covered service?
35. What does "accept assignment" mean with regard to the Medicare MNT benefit?
36. Can a RD or nutrition professional (NP) begin furnishing covered Medicare MNT to beneficiaries if she/he does not have yet her/his Medicare PIN?