Does Medicare Cover Medical Nutrition Therapy?
Key Takeaways
- Medical nutrition therapy has benefits for patients with diabetes (types 1 and 2) and kidney disease, such as reduced hospitalizations and doctor’s visits.
- Medicare covers medical nutrition therapy for patients with diabetes, with kidney disease, or who have received a kidney transplant in the last three years.
- You must seek medical nutrition therapy from a registered dietitian for Medicare to cover your treatment.
- Medicare covers other treatments, equipment and supplies, and therapies for people with kidney disease or diabetes.
Medicare covers medical nutrition therapy for patients who meet certain eligibility criteria, such as a diabetes or kidney disease diagnosis or the receipt of a kidney transplant within the last 36 months. To qualify for coverage, you must choose a Medicare nutritionist who holds a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) certification to administer your treatment.
Medical nutrition therapy has been shown to reduce the utilization of hospital services and physician services for patients with both diabetes and kidney disease. Read on to learn more about how you might benefit from Medicare nutritionist coverage.
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Do You Need a Medical Nutritionist or Dietitian?
Medical nutrition therapy (MNT) is nutrition-based treatment for specific chronic conditions, including diabetes. MNT is delivered by a registered dietitian and has shown to be effective in managing diabetes. Patients with type 1 diabetes saw a 0.3%–1% decrease in hemoglobin A1C, and those with type 2 diabetes saw a 0.5%–2% decrease. MNT also reduced hospitalization by 9.5% for patients with diabetes and 8.6% for those with heart disease.
MNT typically follows four phases: nutrition assessment, nutrition diagnosis, intervention, and nutrition monitoring and evaluation. It also comes in two types — standard MNT and diabetic self-management training (DSMT) — which may be offered either alone or together. For patients with diabetes, MNT is usually most effective when the practitioner delivers both types together.
Other conditions that may respond to MNT include:
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Hypertension
- Cancer
- Osteoporosis
- Obesity
- Kidney disease
- Celiac disease
- Food allergies
However, Medicare only covers MNT for patients with diabetes or kidney disease and for beneficiaries who have had a kidney transplant within the last three years.
How Medicare Covers Medical Nutritional Therapy
Medicare Part B (medical insurance) covers medical nutrition therapy for patients who have diabetes, kidney disease, or have received a kidney transplant within the last 36 months. Beneficiaries need a doctor’s referral to get Medicare coverage for MNT.
Initial coverage with the first referral includes three hours of MNT services within the first calendar year. Your doctor may provide another referral for additional hours if necessary. After the initial year of coverage, Medicare covers up to two hours of covered follow-up services per calendar year. Medicare-covered MNT services may include:
- An initial assessment for nutrition and lifestyle
- Nutritional therapy services (individual or group)
- Assistance with managing lifestyle factors that affect diabetes
- Follow-up visits to track progress
Qualifying beneficiaries pay nothing out of pocket for those services.
Coverage Necessities
Medicare only covers medical nutrition therapy provided by an RDN or a specially certified nutritionist. For patients who get dialysis in a dialysis facility, Medicare covers MNT as part of their dialysis care.
As of Oct. 1, 2025, only patients in rural areas are covered for MNT delivered through telehealth.
Does Medicare Cover Medical Nutrition Therapy for Obesity?
No, obesity alone cannot qualify you for Medicare-covered MNT. You must be diagnosed with diabetes or kidney disease or have received a kidney transplant within the last 36 months to receive Medicare coverage for MNT.
However, Medicare does cover some behavioral treatments for patients with obesity. If you have a body mass index of 30 or more, Medicare Part B may cover obesity screenings and behavioral counseling as long as your doctor administers it in a doctor’s office or another primary care setting.
How Many Appointments Does Medicare Cover for Medical Nutrition Therapy?
Medicare determines its MNT coverage limits based on the number of hours per calendar year. With a referral, Part B covers up to three hours of medical nutrition therapy in the first calendar year. These hours may not roll over to the following calendar year. After initial treatment, you may be eligible for up to two hours of follow-up MNT per calendar year.
You may receive coverage for additional hours of MNT if your healthcare provider determines that a change in your condition, diagnosis, or treatment plan necessitates a change in MNT.
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How Medicare Advantage Covers Medical Nutritional Therapy
Medicare Advantage plans, also known as Medicare Part C, offer the same coverage as Original Medicare at minimum, but many have extended benefits. You can purchase a Medicare Advantage plan through a Medicare-approved private insurance carrier.
Because Medicare Advantage plans must match the coverage provided by Original Medicare, you can expect any Part C plan to pay for medical nutrition therapy as long as you meet the eligibility requirements.
How Much Nutritionist Appointments Cost With Medicare
If you meet Medicare’s eligibility requirements for MNT, you do not have to meet a deductible or pay coinsurance to receive coverage. Without health insurance, you can expect an initial MNT consultation with a dietitian to cost around $200, with the cost of subsequent appointments ranging from around $70 to more than $150.sts.
Other Medicare Benefits To Consider
Medicare beneficiaries receiving medical nutrition therapy may also benefit from other Medicare-covered services related to their health condition. For those with diabetes, services might include:
- Diabetes equipment and supplies. Medicare Part B covers medically necessary blood sugar self-testing equipment and supplies, such as alcohol swabs, gauze, needles, and syringes; insulin pumps; and therapeutic shoes or inserts for beneficiaries with diabetes.
- Diabetes screenings and services. Medicare Part B covers diabetes screenings and a once-per-lifetime diabetes prevention program, which involves a behavior change program meant to prevent type 2 diabetes. With a prescription from a healthcare practitioner, Part B may also cover diabetes self-management training.
- Diabetes drugs. Medicare Part D helps pay for certain prescription drugs for people who have or are at risk for diabetes. Such medications include anti-diabetic drugs and insulin, which is capped at $35 per month in 2025. Part D is not part of Original Medicare and must be purchased as a stand-alone plan or as part of a Medicare Advantage plan.
For those with kidney disease, Medicare also covers:
- Kidney dialysis. Original Medicare covers both inpatient and outpatient dialysis treatments, along with home dialysis training, home dialysis equipment and supplies, and certain home support services for eligible beneficiaries.
- Kidney transplants. Original Medicare helps pay for inpatient services related to a kidney transplant, plus the kidney registry fee, lab tests and other evaluations related to the patient’s condition and potential kidney donors’ conditions, costs related to finding a kidney in the absence of a donor, doctors’ services for the transplant surgery, and blood transfusions related to the transplant.
- Prescription drugs. Medicare covers immunosuppressive drugs, also called transplant drugs, for those who receive a kidney transplant.
Putting It All Together
Medicare covers two to three hours of medical nutrition therapy per calendar year for patients with diabetes or kidney disease who seek MNT through a registered dietitian. Patients who have received a kidney transplant in the last three years may also qualify for MNT coverage through Medicare.
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Sources
- Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) Toolkit: Medical Nutrition Therapy. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Medicare Coverage Database: Medical Nutrition Therapy. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
- Medicare Coverage Database: Medical Nutrition Therapy Benefit for Diabetes and ESRD. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
- Conditions Treated — Medical Nutrition Therapy. Stanford Medicine Health Care.
- The Estimated Costs and Savings of Medical Nutrition Therapy. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
- Medicare Coverage of Diabetes Supplies, Services, and Prevention Programs. Medicare.gov.
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