Does Medicare cover medical nutrition therapy (MNT)?

Medical nutrition therapy (MNT) uses diet and lifestyle changes to help manage chronic health conditions. It’s not just about healthy eating; it’s about helping to make sure that what you eat doesn’t make your condition worse. In some cases, MNT may even help make your condition better or help you heal faster. Services may include:

• A nutrition and lifestyle assessment
• A personalized diet developed by a registered dietitian
• Individual and/or group nutritional therapy services
• Help managing the lifestyle factors that affect your condition
• Follow-up visits to check on your progress

Examples of MNT

Medical nutrition therapy can take many forms. Here are just a few examples:¹

• Diabetes: A low-carb diet, meal planning, and behavioral changes
• Cardiovascular disease: Dietary changes to reduce saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium
• Kidney disease: Controlling electrolyte balance
• Celiac disease: A gluten-free diet

MNT is generally covered by Medicare Part B, but it requires a referral from your doctor. 

If you get dialysis in a dialysis facility, Medicare will cover medical nutrition therapy as part of your overall dialysis care.²

Will Medicare cover a dietitian or nutritionist? 

If your doctor believes a dietitian may help you better manage your health, they can provide a referral. But your doctor may recommend you get services more often than Medicare will pay for or recommend services that Medicare doesn’t cover. If this happens, you may have to pay some or all of the costs. 

Ask questions! Take time to understand why your doctor is recommending certain services and find out if, or how much, Medicare will pay for them before you sign up.

How do I know if I’m eligible for MNT coverage? 

Well, there are some rules. Medicare Part B covers medical nutrition therapy services if you have diabetes or kidney disease, or you’ve had a kidney transplant in the last 36 months. 

For other conditions or diseases, it’s always a good idea to ask if the service will be covered and what your share of the costs will be. 

Remember: Just because your doctor recommends a service doesn’t necessarily mean that Medicare will cover it. 

How many visits will Medicare cover for medical nutrition therapy? 

For many conditions, MNT is an ongoing need. For the first year, Medicare will cover 3 hours of MNT. In the following years, it will cover 2 hours each year.³

For patients with diabetes or kidney disease or who have had a kidney transplant in the last 36 months, Medicare will pay 100% of the cost of medical nutrition therapy with no deductible or copay.

For some patients, a healthy diet will never replace modern-day tools like insulin or dialysis. But most people would agree that when we eat better, we feel better. MNT dietitians want to take that a step further. Through personalized diet and counseling, they want to help their patients actually be better, healthier and more in control of chronic health challenges.