March is National Nutrition Month More than 16.8-million Americans, 65 years or older, are diagnosed with diabetes or renal disease. Medical nutrition therapy (MNT) that is provided by a registered dietitian or nutrition professional may result in improved diabetes and renal disease management, along with other health outcomes that may help delay these diseases. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reminds healthcare professionals that March is National Nutrition Month®, focusing on the importance of making informed food choices, developing sound eating and physical activity habits in order to promote a healthy lifestyle and improve good health.
Medicare Coverage - Medicare provides MNT-coverage for beneficiaries diagnosed with diabetes and/or renal disease (except for those receiving dialysis) and post-renal transplant when referred by the treating physician and provided by a registered dietitian or nutrition professional. (The treating physician must indicate a diagnosis of diabetes or renal disease in order to receive this benefit.) 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 that, 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 13-50 ml/min/1.73m2). What Can You Do? - CMS needs your help to ensure that all eligible people with Medicare take full advantage of the MNT benefit. MNT provided by a registered dietitian or nutrition professional can be an integral component of diabetes and renal disease management, which may result in improved health outcomes and delay in disease progression. Talk with your eligible Medicare patients about the benefits of managing diabetes and renal disease through MNT. As the treating physician, provide a written referral and encourage them to make an appointment with a registered dietitian or nutrition professional. And for more information: * Diabetes-Related Services Brochure - This resource provides healthcare professionals with an overview of Medicare's coverage of diabetes screening tests, diabetes self-management training, MNT, and supplies and other diabetes-related services. Read at http://www.CMS.gov/MLNProducts/downloads/DiabetesSvcs.pdf. * The CMS MNT Website - Provides healthcare professionals with information about Medicare coverage of MNT provided by a registered dietitian or nutrition professional. Read at http://www.CMS.gov/MedicalNutritionTherapy. * The Guide to Medicare Preventive Services for Physicians, Providers, Suppliers, and Other Health Care Professionals - This comprehensive resource provides coverage and coding information on the array of preventive services and screenings that Medicare covers, including MNT and other services for Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes. Read at http://www.CMS.gov/MLNProducts/downloads/mps_guide_web-061305.pdf. § National Nutrition Month® - Visit the American Dietetic Association's website at http://www.EatRight.org/NNM to learn more about National Nutrition Month 2011. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March Flu Shot Reminder It's Not too Late to Give and Get the Flu Vaccine. Take advantage of each office visit and continue to protect your patients against the seasonal flu. Medicare will continue to pay for the seasonal flu vaccine and its administration for all Medicare beneficiaries through the entire flu season. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that patients, health care workers and caregivers be vaccinated against the seasonal flu. Protect your patients. Protect your family. Protect yourself. Get Your Flu Vaccine - Not the Flu. Remember - Influenza vaccine plus its administration are covered Part B benefits. Note that influenza vaccine is NOT a Part D covered drug. For information about Medicare's coverage of the influenza vaccine and its administration, as well as related educational resources for health care professionals and their staff, please visit the following CMS websites: http://www.cms.gov/MLNProducts/Downloads/Flu_Products.pdf and http://www.cms.gov/AdultImmunizations. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note: If you have problems accessing any hyperlink in this message, please copy and paste the URL into your Internet browser. If you know someone who would like to subscribe to a Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) provider listserv, go to (http://www.cms.gov/prospmedicarefeesvcpmtgen/downloads/Provider_Listservs.pdf). If you would like to unsubscribe from a specific provider listserv, please go to (https://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa.exe?INDEX) to unsubscribe or to leave the appropriate listserv. Please DO NOT respond to this email. This email is a service of CMS and routed through an electronic mail server to communicate Medicare policy and operational changes and/or updates. Responses to this email are not routed to CMS personnel. Inquiries may be sent by going to (http://www.cms.gov/ContactCMS). Thank you.
