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| March is National Nutrition Month (200903-05) March is National Nutrition Month® ~ Please join with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in promoting increased awareness of nutrition, healthful eating and the medical nutrition therapy (MNT) benefit covered by Medicare. More than 13.7 million Americans at least 60 years or older are diagnosed with diabetes or chronic kidney disease [1]. MNT provided by a registered dietitian or nutrition professional may result in improved diabetes and renal disease management and other health outcomes and may help delay disease progression. Medicare Coverage Medicare provides coverage of medical nutrition therapy (MNT) for beneficiaries diagnosed with diabetes and/or renal disease (except for those receiving dialysis) and post renal transplant when provided by a registered dietitian or nutrition professional who meets the provider qualifications requirement. A referral by the beneficiary's treating physician indicating a diagnosis of diabetes or renal disease is required. Medicare provides coverage for 3 hours of MNT in the first year and 2 hours in subsequent years, and additional hours in certain situations. NOTE: For the purpose of this benefit, renal disease means chronic renal insufficiency or the medical condition of a beneficiary who has been discharged from the hospital after a successful renal transplant for up to 36 months post transplant. Chronic renal insufficiency means a reduction in renal function not severe enough to require dialysis or transplantation [Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) 13-50 ml/min/1.73m2]. What Can You Do? As a trusted source of health care information, your patients rely on their physician's or other health care professional's recommendations. CMS requests your help to ensure that all eligible people with Medicare take full advantage of the medical nutrition therapy benefit. Talk with your eligible Medicare patients about the benefits of managing diabetes and renal disease through MNT and encourage them to make an appointment with a registered dietitian or nutrition professional qualified to provide MNT services covered by Medicare. For More Information CMS has developed a variety of educational products and resources to help health care professionals and their staff become familiar with coverage, coding, billing, and reimbursement for all preventive services covered by Medicare. o The MLN Preventive Services Educational Products Web Page ~ provides descriptions and ordering information for Medicare Learning Network (MLN) preventive services educational products and resources for health care professionals and their staff. http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNProducts/35_PreventiveServices.asp o Diabetes-Related Services Brochure ~ This tri-fold brochure provides health care professionals with an overview of Medicare's coverage of diabetes screening tests, diabetes self-management training, medical nutrition therapy, and supplies and other services for Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes. http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNProducts/downloads/DiabetesSvcs.pdf To order copies of the brochure, go to the MLN Product Ordering System located at: http://cms.meridianksi.com/kc/main/kc_frame.asp?kc_ident=kc0001&loc=5 o The CMS website provides additional information about the MNT benefit at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MedicalNutritionTherapy/ For information to share with your Medicare patients, visit http://www.medicare.gov For more information about National Nutrition Month®, or to "Find a Nutrition Professional" please visit http://www.eatright.org. [1] Department of Health and Human Services. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "2007 National Diabetes Fact Sheet," accessed at: http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/ddtstrs/FactSheet.aspx. The United States Renal Data System, "2008 USRDS Annual Data Report (ADR) Atlas," accessed at: http://www.usrds.org/2008/pdf/V1_Precis_2008.pdf |
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