Reimbursement
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Warm welcome from your reimbursement Co-chairs Maryann Gallucci and Rita Batheja.
This webpage is provided as a resource to LIAND members seeking information on MNT reimbursement. For more information on reimbursement visit NYSDA’s website: www.eatrightny.org
Member Action Alert Support Legislation to Expand Medicare MNT to Cover Pre-diabetes … World Diabetes Day is November 14 and this is National Diabetes Awareness Month. More than most, ADA members understand the importance of bringing diabetes to the public's attention.
What is often missing from the debate is the need to treat people diagnosed as having pre-diabetes. ADA has supported a number of proposals in Congress to address the problem of pre-diabetes, and Congress now appears ready to consider another major Medicare bill.
Send an e-mail to your representative and senators via ADA's Web site. Go to www.eatright.org and log in as a member. Under the "Advocacy and the Profession," tab click "Grassroots Manager" on the left hand side. Once in "Grassroots Manager," click "Take Action." Then click on the World Diabetes Day URL. This interactive page will translate your ADA member number into a personalized letter to your legislators. You will be offered the choice of e-mailing the letter or printing out a letter to fax. Please choose the e-mail option.
Also … during National Diabetes Month, the National Diabetes Education Program has produced copyright-free campaign tools to help you promote diabetes prevention and control. Visit www.ndep.nih.gov for more information.
Resources & Reimbursement Info: (please click title for links)
ICD-10-CM Codes for RDNs
AND Resource Sheet
AND MNT Info
AND MNT Provider Info
AND Health Care Reform Info
Eat Right Coverage Info
ADA Journal Business Article
Getting Started in Private Practice: A Checklist to Your Entrepreneurial Path
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Warm welcome from your reimbursement Co-chairs Maryann Gallucci and Rita Batheja.
This webpage is provided as a resource to LIAND members seeking information on MNT reimbursement. For more information on reimbursement visit NYSDA’s website: www.eatrightny.org
Member Action Alert Support Legislation to Expand Medicare MNT to Cover Pre-diabetes … World Diabetes Day is November 14 and this is National Diabetes Awareness Month. More than most, ADA members understand the importance of bringing diabetes to the public's attention.
What is often missing from the debate is the need to treat people diagnosed as having pre-diabetes. ADA has supported a number of proposals in Congress to address the problem of pre-diabetes, and Congress now appears ready to consider another major Medicare bill.
Send an e-mail to your representative and senators via ADA's Web site. Go to www.eatright.org and log in as a member. Under the "Advocacy and the Profession," tab click "Grassroots Manager" on the left hand side. Once in "Grassroots Manager," click "Take Action." Then click on the World Diabetes Day URL. This interactive page will translate your ADA member number into a personalized letter to your legislators. You will be offered the choice of e-mailing the letter or printing out a letter to fax. Please choose the e-mail option.
Also … during National Diabetes Month, the National Diabetes Education Program has produced copyright-free campaign tools to help you promote diabetes prevention and control. Visit www.ndep.nih.gov for more information.
Resources & Reimbursement Info: (please click title for links)
ICD-10-CM Codes for RDNs
AND Resource Sheet
AND MNT Info
AND MNT Provider Info
AND Health Care Reform Info
Eat Right Coverage Info
ADA Journal Business Article
Getting Started in Private Practice: A Checklist to Your Entrepreneurial Path
We will post more resources in upcoming months. We highly encourage you to get familiar with these invaluable resources for common foundation knowledge.
Thank You.
Thank You.
The latest edition of the MNT provider is available Now.
In this edition: Learn about the changes in store for RDN Medicare Part B providers in 2018, including changes to Medicare telehealth billing, how National Diabetes Prevention Programs can become eligible for Medicare payments, new care coordination services and payment for rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers, and the impact of the Quality Payment Program year two.
Past editions of the MNT Provider can be found here (please click below for link):
http://www.eatrightpro.org/resource/news-center/in-practice/mnt-provider/2017-mnt-provider
http://www.eatrightstore.org/product/EA72E7C4-549E-41E1-A787-2400393C8FE
In this edition: Learn about the changes in store for RDN Medicare Part B providers in 2018, including changes to Medicare telehealth billing, how National Diabetes Prevention Programs can become eligible for Medicare payments, new care coordination services and payment for rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers, and the impact of the Quality Payment Program year two.
Past editions of the MNT Provider can be found here (please click below for link):
http://www.eatrightpro.org/resource/news-center/in-practice/mnt-provider/2017-mnt-provider
http://www.eatrightstore.org/product/EA72E7C4-549E-41E1-A787-2400393C8FE
Watch the "Payment Does Matter!" video now
No matter where you work, understanding the basics of health care payments and other sources of funding for the services you provide is an asset to every RDN.
That’s why the Academy is launching Payment Matters, a free program for all members, in April 2020. You will receive six monthly emails with valuable information, resources and learning activities regarding reimbursement, payment for telehealth, health care reform and more!
Now is the time to put yourself in a better position to negotiate salaries and secure the future of your profession. Learn more about the Payment Matter program. Click here
No matter where you work, understanding the basics of health care payments and other sources of funding for the services you provide is an asset to every RDN.
That’s why the Academy is launching Payment Matters, a free program for all members, in April 2020. You will receive six monthly emails with valuable information, resources and learning activities regarding reimbursement, payment for telehealth, health care reform and more!
Now is the time to put yourself in a better position to negotiate salaries and secure the future of your profession. Learn more about the Payment Matter program. Click here
During COVID-19 Emergency, CMS Gives Green Light to MNT via Telehealth for Medicare Beneficiaries
03/17/2020 - Good news for registered dietitian nutritionists who are Medicare providers: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced details of its policies to broaden access to telehealth services. Academy President Terri Raymond recently sent a letter to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Azar advocating for medical nutrition therapy via telehealth for Medicare beneficiaries. The Academy was pleased to see the success of its advocacy efforts to ensure registered dietitian nutritionists were part of the agency’s updated recommendations.
Starting March 6 and for the duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency, RDNs who are Medicare providers can provide services already covered by Medicare via telehealth to patients in any health care facility and in their home. These services include MNT (97802, 97803, 97804, G0270) and DSMT (G0108, G0109) and are not limited to patients with COVID-19. These visits are paid under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule at the same rate as regular, in-person visits.
Since 97802 is included on the list of covered services, the Academy interprets that to mean new patients are included under this action. CMS has specifically stated that HHS will not conduct audits to ensure that a prior relationship existed for claims submitted during this public health emergency. Services provided via telehealth should be billed as if the service had been furnished in person, using Place of Service code 02-telehealth. While co-pays apply to DSMT services, RDNs can reduce or waive cost sharing for DSMT delivered via telehealth during this time.
There is more good news: RDNs now temporarily have expanded options for delivering MNT services via telehealth. Effectively immediately, the HHS Office for Civil Rights will waive penalties for HIPAA violations against health care providers that serve patients in good faith through everyday non-public-facing communications technologies during the emergency. For example, RDNs may use popular applications that allow for video chats, including Apple FaceTime, Facebook Messenger video chat, Google Hangouts video or Skype. RDNs are encouraged to notify patients that these third-party applications potentially introduce privacy risks. They should also enable all available encryption and privacy modes when using such applications. However, Facebook Live, Twitch, TikTok and similar video communication applications are public-facing and should not be used to provide MNT services via telehealth. Additional information can be found at this notice from Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
As noted in the Academy's communication on March 6, RDNs also continue to have access to the new G codes (G2061, G2062, G2063) covered by Medicare as of January 1 for online digital evaluation and assessment services. These G codes are for use with established Medicare clients.
While Intensive Behavioral Therapy for Obesity services are on the list of approved telehealth services (G0447), RDNs will need to work with primary care providers to determine how those services will be supervised as a telehealth service. The waiver does not change any of the Medicare benefit rules for these or any other Medicare services.
The Academy does not know if private/commercial payers will follow Medicare's lead. The Academy encourages states to extend similar flexibility for MNT telehealth to Medicaid and commercial insurance market beneficiaries and to temporarily allow interstate practice by registered dietitian nutritionists and those licensed to practice in another state.
Coverage, payment and other aspects of getting paid for services during this public health emergency are continuously evolving. The Academy will continue to keep members informed of new developments as they become available on the provision of MNT services.
Learn more about telehealth services at www.eatrightpro.org/telehealth.
03/17/2020 - Good news for registered dietitian nutritionists who are Medicare providers: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced details of its policies to broaden access to telehealth services. Academy President Terri Raymond recently sent a letter to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Azar advocating for medical nutrition therapy via telehealth for Medicare beneficiaries. The Academy was pleased to see the success of its advocacy efforts to ensure registered dietitian nutritionists were part of the agency’s updated recommendations.
Starting March 6 and for the duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency, RDNs who are Medicare providers can provide services already covered by Medicare via telehealth to patients in any health care facility and in their home. These services include MNT (97802, 97803, 97804, G0270) and DSMT (G0108, G0109) and are not limited to patients with COVID-19. These visits are paid under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule at the same rate as regular, in-person visits.
Since 97802 is included on the list of covered services, the Academy interprets that to mean new patients are included under this action. CMS has specifically stated that HHS will not conduct audits to ensure that a prior relationship existed for claims submitted during this public health emergency. Services provided via telehealth should be billed as if the service had been furnished in person, using Place of Service code 02-telehealth. While co-pays apply to DSMT services, RDNs can reduce or waive cost sharing for DSMT delivered via telehealth during this time.
There is more good news: RDNs now temporarily have expanded options for delivering MNT services via telehealth. Effectively immediately, the HHS Office for Civil Rights will waive penalties for HIPAA violations against health care providers that serve patients in good faith through everyday non-public-facing communications technologies during the emergency. For example, RDNs may use popular applications that allow for video chats, including Apple FaceTime, Facebook Messenger video chat, Google Hangouts video or Skype. RDNs are encouraged to notify patients that these third-party applications potentially introduce privacy risks. They should also enable all available encryption and privacy modes when using such applications. However, Facebook Live, Twitch, TikTok and similar video communication applications are public-facing and should not be used to provide MNT services via telehealth. Additional information can be found at this notice from Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
As noted in the Academy's communication on March 6, RDNs also continue to have access to the new G codes (G2061, G2062, G2063) covered by Medicare as of January 1 for online digital evaluation and assessment services. These G codes are for use with established Medicare clients.
While Intensive Behavioral Therapy for Obesity services are on the list of approved telehealth services (G0447), RDNs will need to work with primary care providers to determine how those services will be supervised as a telehealth service. The waiver does not change any of the Medicare benefit rules for these or any other Medicare services.
The Academy does not know if private/commercial payers will follow Medicare's lead. The Academy encourages states to extend similar flexibility for MNT telehealth to Medicaid and commercial insurance market beneficiaries and to temporarily allow interstate practice by registered dietitian nutritionists and those licensed to practice in another state.
Coverage, payment and other aspects of getting paid for services during this public health emergency are continuously evolving. The Academy will continue to keep members informed of new developments as they become available on the provision of MNT services.
Learn more about telehealth services at www.eatrightpro.org/telehealth.
Copyright © 2021 LIAND. All Rights Reserved.