Does Insurance Pay for Dietitian Nutritionist Visits?

July 06, 2023

Yes!  In many cases, commercial insurance, like the type you get through your employer, will pay for several visits to a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN).  Many of my clients never pay out of pocket.  Your insurance plan might cover a few or many visits per year for reasons such as preventive nutrition, diabetes or obesity.  You could have no cost for these visits depending on your plan.

Schedule a free 15-minute discovery call to learn more about dietitian visits and coverage.

Medicare covers dietitian visits for people who have diabetes or chronic kidney disease at certain stages.  Medicare will cover 3 hours of visits in the first year and generally 2 hours in subsequent years.  This does require a referral from your doctor. In my experience, doctors are happy to give you this referral to help you make better eating choices.  It is also a standard of care for diabetes to see a registered dietitian when you are first diagnosed and/or when something changes in your plan of care like adding insulin to your medications.  That means all people with diabetes should see a dietitian to help manage the condition, but many are never referred or seek help themselves.  One study of 332 people with diabetes showed only 34% were referred to a dietitian by their doctor.

Whether you need a referral or not, if you want help changing your eating and lifestyle habits, talk to a dietitian.  I can help you determine if you need a referral and get it from your doctor if needed.  

You pay premiums each month to your health insurance, so use those benefits!  Some could be at no extra cost to you.

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