Bill > S1536

This bill, the Medical Nutrition Therapy Act of 2021, aims to expand the availability of medical nutrition therapy (MNT) services under the Medicare program. Currently, Medicare only covers MNT for individuals with diabetes or renal disease, despite MNT being a standard of care and medically necessary for many more chronic conditions. The bill proposes to broaden the coverage to include conditions such as prediabetes, obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, malnutrition, eating disorders, cancer, gastrointestinal diseases, HIV/AIDS, and cardiovascular disease. The bill also clarifies that MNT services can be provided by not only registered dietitians but also physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and clinical psychologists in the case of eating disorders. The amendments made by this bill would apply to items and services furnished on or after January 1, 2023.