Does Insurance Cover Nutritionists and dietitians?
Navigating insurance coverage for dietitian and nutritionist services can be complex, but Nutrition Braved is here to help. Following your discovery call with one of our dietitians, we will provide you a detailed guide outlining the necessary steps to verify your coverage. This includes the specific codes and questions to ask your insurance carrier. Additionally, we offer guidance on how to verify if Nutrition Braved is in-network with Aetna, BCBS, Cigna and UHC and the typical coverage you may expect with your carrier. Simply select your insurance provider below or scroll down for more details. Click your insurance logo below to see if Nutrition Braved is in-network with your insurance!
Aetna Insurance
To verify if your specific Aetna plan is in network with our Aetna Nutritionists and Dietitians, please navigate to the Aetna Provider Directory for Nutrition Braved and scroll down to the “Plan & Network Information” area where you can review the 200+ individual Aetna plans that we are in-network with. Feel free to login to your account as an alternate option.
Does Aetna Cover Dietitians & Nutritionists?
In most cases, Aetna will cover medical nutrition therapy (MNT) services when being performed in support of an eating disorder in which a formal diagnosis code is provided. They will also provide coverage for those without an eating disorder diagnosis given specific information is included in their claim. Please note, while we practice from a HAES aligned lens and don’t believe BMI is an indication of health, BMI is required to obtain coverage through Aetna when performing nutrition counseling without an eating disorder diagnosis.
Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) Insurance
Navigate to the BCBS Provider Finder for Nutrition Braved where you can see the complete list of “Plans/Networks Accepts” accepted by our BCBS Nutritionist and Dietitians. (Please note, we do not accept HMO insurance policies). As an additional layer of reassurance, we recommend you login to your BCBS account and search for Nutrition Braved to verify in-network status for your specific plan. Once you click on our profile, you will see a check mark that says “In (your specific plan) Network”, if we are indeed in network with your plan.
Does BCBS Cover Dietitians & Nutritionists?
Generally speaking, BCBS will almost always cover nutrition counseling sessions with a dietitian for both in-person and virtual sessions. Coverage is also not often contingent on having a formalized eating disorder diagnosis. However with any general rule of thumb, there are exceptions. For this reason, we always encourage all new patients to verify their benefits and coverage. Our biller will be happy to provide the step by step guide to do so following a discovery call with one of our dietitians.
Known Exceptions for BCBS:
- BCBS of Michigan: While BCBS of Michigan plans say they cover nutrition counseling, it is not covered when provided by a registered dietitian (must be provided by a doctor). Since doctors do not normally provide nutrition counseling, the service is in essence not covered. Individuals with BCBS of Michigan will need to be setup as self-pay patients and pay for services out of pocket.
- Labor Funds: There is currently only ONE known labor fund that accepts our services and that is Local 150 (Midwest Operating Engineers). If you have insurance through a labor fund and are interested in services, please reach out and we will help support you in verifying your coverage.
- Self Funded Plans: Since each self-funded plan sets their benefits and coverage for medical nutrition therapy, it’s a true coin flip on whether or not your specific plan does. The only way to find out is to call the benefits line on the back of your card. We have a guide to walk you through the step by step process.
Does Insurance Cover Nutritionists and Dietitians – Yes!
CIGNA Insurance
The general insurance plans accepted by Cigna Nutritionist and Dietitians include: Illinois, Carelink Plans: Open Access Plus, OA Plus, OAP with ChoiceFund, Open Access Plus, OA Plus, ChoiceFund OA Plus, PPO, Choice Fund PPO. This list may change at any time so we recommend you view our profile in the Cigna Directory for Nutrition Braved to ensure no changes in network status have taken place.
Does Cigna Cover Dietitians & Nutritionists?
Cigna will generally provide coverage for nutrition counseling sessions with a dietitian. Some plans may have requirements on whether the patient is in-person but in most cases virtual sessions are also allowed. After your discovery call, we will send you a comprehensive guide on verifying your coverage, and our billing team will be available to answer any questions you may have.
United Health Care (UHC) Insurance
To verify if our UHC Nutritionist and Dietitians at Nutrition Braved are in-network with your plan, click on UHC Find Care Portal. Navigate to the “Change Plan” (defaults to Choice Plus Advance), Select Medical Directory, and proceed to find your specific UHC plan. Search for Nutrition Braved and once you open the profile, and green check mark with “In-Network” will display if we are indeed in-network for you.
Does UHC Cover Dietitians & Nutritionists?
While the majority of UHC patients ultimately received coverage for medical nutrition therapy, the billing practices and requirements for each UHC plan can be slightly different. For some plans, nutrition counseling is preventative while for others it requires multiple diagnosis codes, pre-determinations or may even have specific exclusions. Fortunately for you, we’ve been billing UHC for over four years and have a seasoned dedicated biller, Beth Santos, on our team with over 18+ years of medical billing experience to help you navigate the ins-and-outs of United Health Care coverage. Following your discovery call, we will provide you with a detailed guide on how to verify your coverage for our UHC dietitians with our biller available to answer any questions you may have.
While we are not trying to scare you, please note that we have seen a few instances (less than 5 total instances over the past four years) where the patient obtains benefits and coverage details from UHC, we then bill UHC as they requested us to do so, and the claim then comes back denied. In these rare cases, it would be up to the patient to dispute the discrepancy in coverage as submitting a correct claim or disputing the determination on our end will not produce any changes.
In most cases, the question isn’t whether “does insurance cover nutritionists and dietitians” but rather how does your insurance cover them as each plan can be slightly different.
Summary of Insurance Coverage for Dietitians and Nutritionists
Does insurance cover nutritionists and dietitians? Yes – In most cases! However, verifying insurance coverage for your specific policy is essential for a smooth billing process. At Nutrition Braved, we guide you through this process by providing detailed instructions on how to confirm your coverage with major providers like Aetna, BCBS, Cigna, and UHC. With our experienced billing team ready to assist, you can confidently navigate your plan’s requirements and ensure that your insurance covers your services. Schedule a discovery call today to receive personalized guidance tailored to your insurance provider.
Disclaimer: Please remember, even if your plan is in-network, it does not guarantee your plan covers our specific services. Additionally coverage does not negate any copays, out of pocket maximums or coinsurance that may be Since there is no golden rule for coverage on nutrition counseling from a dietitian, we highly recommend every new patient contact their specific carrier to verify their eligibility and benefits.
