Bill > HR6199

This bill aims to expand medical nutrition therapy (MNT) services under Medicare, broadening the conditions for which patients can receive these services. Currently, MNT is only available to Medicare Part B beneficiaries with diabetes or renal disease, but the bill would extend coverage to a wide range of chronic conditions including prediabetes, obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, malnutrition, eating disorders, cancer, gastrointestinal diseases, HIV/AIDS, and cardiovascular disease. The bill allows MNT services to be provided by physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and for eating disorders, clinical psychologists. It also gives the Secretary of Health and Human Services the flexibility to add more conditions where MNT is medically necessary, based on recommendations from professional organizations or clinical guidelines. The bill recognizes that over two-thirds of Medicare beneficiaries have multiple chronic conditions, many of which can be prevented, delayed, or managed through nutrition, and that certain racial and ethnic minority groups are more likely to be diagnosed with these conditions. The amendments would take effect two years after the bill's enactment, potentially providing more comprehensive nutritional support for Medicare beneficiaries.