Medicare Preventive Services
Medical Nutrition Therapy
Few things are more important than preventive care when it comes to maintaining your health. Regular checkups and diagnostic procedures are the key to detecting many health concerns in their earliest stages, when the prognosis and chances for a full recovery are best. Especially when it comes to serious conditions such as cancer and heart disease, the earlier you know what you’re up against, the better.
The same applies to conditions that aren’t necessarily life-threatening. Regardless of the scale of an ailment or condition, the earlier it’s detected, the better. Knowing early what you’re dealing with can make all the difference when you and your doctor or practitioner decide what course of action you should take.
Dealing with a problem early usually means you have several viable options to choose from and an excellent chance of success. Early detection is likely to help your pocketbook as well. Not only can preventive care save your life, it can save you thousands of dollars.
A more in-depth look at Medical Nutrition Therapy
Medicare covers medical nutrition therapy services prescribed by a doctor for people with kidney disease or diabetes. Therapy services include an initial assessment of nutrition and lifestyle, nutrition counseling, information about managing lifestyle factors that affect diet, and follow-up visits to monitor progress.
Medicare covers three hours of one-on-one counseling services the first year, and two hours each year after that. If your condition, treatment, or diagnosis changes, you may be able to get more hours of treatment with a doctor’s referral.
A doctor must prescribe these services and renew his or her referral annually if you need treatment into another calendar year. Medical nutrition therapy services can be given by a registered dietitian or another Medicare-approved nutrition professional.
You are eligible for these Medicare-covered services if you have diabetes or kidney disease, or had a kidney transplant in the last three years. Your doctor must refer you for the service.
Under Original Medicare (Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B) you pay nothing for these services if your provider accepts assignment.
Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage Plans, and Medicare Supplement Plans can all go a long way toward providing the preventive care you need to maintain your good health.
If you have further questions about Medicare preventive services or any other aspect of Medicare, contact MedicareMall now and let us lead you with confidence through the Medicare maze!