Medical nutrition therapy services
covers medical nutrition therapy services if you have diabetes or kidney disease, or you’ve had a kidney transplant in the last 36 months. A doctor must refer you for the services.
Initial coverage includes 3 hours of medical nutrition therapy services in the first calendar year. These hours can’t be carried over to the next calendar year. If your doctor decides a change in your medical condition requires a change in your diet, they can give you a referral for more hours beyond the initial coverage. You may get up to 2 hours of follow-up services each calendar year, after the year you got your initial coverage.
Your costs in Original Medicare
You pay nothing for these services if you qualify to get them.
Your doctor or other health care provider may recommend you get services more often than Medicare covers. Or, they may recommend services that Medicare doesn’t cover. If this happens, you may have to pay some or all of the costs. Ask questions so you understand why your doctor is recommending certain services and if, or how much, Medicare will pay for them.
What it is
Services may include:
- An initial nutrition and lifestyle assessment
- Individual and/or group nutritional therapy services
- Help managing the lifestyle factors that affect your diabetes
- Follow-up visits to check on your progress
Things to know
- Only a registered dietitian (or nutrition professional who meets certain requirements) can provide medical nutrition therapy services.
- If you get dialysis in a dialysis facility, Medicare covers medical nutrition therapy services as part of your overall dialysis care.
- Through September 30, 2025, you can get medical nutrition therapy services at any location in the U.S. through telehealth. Starting October 1, 2025, you must be in an office or medical facility located in a rural area (in the U.S.) to get medical nutrition therapy services from a registered dietitian or other nutrition professional through telehealth.
- If you have diabetes, you may also qualify for diabetes self-management training.