Insurance and Fees
Looking for an online dietitian nutritionist covered by insurance? I’m here to help you thrive!
Insurance & Fees
Looking for an online dietitian nutritionist covered by insurance? I’m here to help you thrive!
Are nutritionist services covered by insurance?
Yes, most major health insurance companies cover nutritional counseling, including for but not limited to weight loss, diabetes, heart conditions, GI disorders and food allergies. Some insurance companies don’t require any diagnosis at all. If I work with your insurance carrier, you might be eligible to pay ZERO dollars out of pocket for one-on-one time with a dietitian.
Here’s the caveat: It is YOUR responsibility to verify coverage with your insurance plan. Participation with an in-network dietitian does not guarantee that your visit(s) will be covered through your insurance provider.
All services not covered by insurance are the patient’s financial responsibility.
How can I know if my insurance provider covers my nutrition counseling?
Call your insurance provider and make sure to ask the following:
Do I have nutritional counseling coverage on my insurance plan?
If the insurance company asks for a CPT code please provide them with the following codes 97802 & 97803. If they say you do not have coverage using those codes NEXT ask them to check your coverage for the following CPT codes: 99401, 99402, 99403 and 99404. We also can bill for S9470 if it is covered on your policy.
Will my diagnosis be covered?
If the representative asks for a diagnosis code (aka ICD 10 code) – please tell them the visit is coded the ICD 10 code: Z71.3
If they don’t accept Z71.3 then provide them with Z72.4 and see if they will cover that diagnosis instead on your plan.
If you are overweight, obese, have pre-diabetes, diabetes, hypertension, or high cholesterol you may want to see what your coverage is for these diagnoses as well.
We always code your visit using preventative coding (if applicable) to maximize the number of visits you receive from your insurance carrier. However, if you ONLY have a medical diagnosis (for example: IBS, and you are not overweight or have CVD risk factors) your insurance may impose a cost-share for your visit either in the form of a deductible, co-pay or co-insurance.
How many visits do I have per calendar year?
Do I have a cost-share for my nutrition visit?
A cost-share is the amount you will need to pay as required by your particular insurance plan towards your services. A cost-share can be in the form of a deductible, co-pay or co-insurance.
We will always bill under your insurance policy’s plan under your preventative benefits if your plan allows. With that being said, if you have preventative benefits there is often NO cost share for you associated with the visit. Once again, this is something YOU do want to ask prior to your visit.
In the event you have a cost-share we will initially bill your insurance company directly. Once we receive the EOB describing your responsibility as the patient, we will bill the credit card on file for the amount noted under ‘patient responsibility.’
For most insurance companies dietitians are considered a specialist. Therefore, your specialist co-pay is applicable and is payable at the time of service. This information is often apparent on the front of your actual insurance card. However, often because we bill your insurance with preventative counseling the co-pay is often not applicable.
We generally wait for the claim to be processed to determine whether or not you have a co-pay and then charge the credit card you have on file with us the co-pay amount.
Quick summary of questions to ask your insurance provider to verify your nutrition benefits
Do I have coverage for nutrition counseling?
Do I need a referral to see a Registered Dietitian?
Are my diagnoses covered on my particular plan?
How many visits per calendar year do I receive?
Do I have a cost-share for these services?
Is there an associated cost for me if I choose to have the appointment as a telehealth visit versus in person visit?
If you have any questions after verifying your benefits we are happy to help. Please email Katie Lovitt at katie@nourishthrivewellness.com.
Health Insurance Accepted by Nourish & Thrive Nutrition Counseling
How to Become a Client
Step 1.
Start by requesting an initial visit and filling out a short questionnaire here.
Step 2.
Once your appointment is confirmed, join my portal and complete the intake forms online.
Step 3.
Call and verify insurance coverage before your visit.*
Step 4.
Meet with your dietitian.
*If we meet for a session and insurance does not cover, you will be responsible for payment. I charge $250 for initial visits and $180 for follow-up visits. A card must be held on file in order to schedule an appointment.
Payment Schedule & Terms
You are welcome to pay for my services using all major credit/debit cards or your HSA/FSA. My rates are $250 for an hour long initial appointment and $180 for an hour long follow-up visit.
I can provide you with a Superbill for you to submit to your insurance company for possible reimbursement. Note that payment to me is your responsibility and out-of-network coverage varies between plans.
Initial Consultation
$250 / 55 minutes
Online/Video chat
Required for all new patients or if we have not met in the past 12 months.
Follow-up Visit
$180 / 55 minutes
Online/Video chat
Insurance patients follow-up session only. Credit card information required to schedule session.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I work with you?
Request an appointment and fill out a short questionnaire so I can make sure we are a great fit. I will review your request and either confirm your appointment or send you a note letting you know I may not be the best person to help you reach your goals – I always include a referral to someone who might be a better fit when possible.
Once your appointment is confirmed, you’ll need to do a few things to get the most out of our time together:
- You’ll receive an email invitation to join my client portal. Please accept that and create a password.
- Once logged in, head over to your “forms” tab. Please complete all onboarding docs at least 48 hours before your appointment time so I can review before we meet.
- If you’re wanting to use insurance for your visit, YOU must call and verify coverage before your visit. For your convenience, I include a form in intake paperwork that lists ALL the questions you need to ask and places to input the answers. If we meet for a session and insurance does not cover it, you will be responsible for payment. I charge $250 for initial visits and $180 for follow-up visits. A card must be held on file in order to schedule an appointment.
What forms of payment do you accept?
What if you aren’t in network with my insurance carrier?
You are welcome to pay for my services using all major credit/debit cards or your HSA/FSA. My rates are $250 for an hour long initial appointment, and $180 for an hour long follow-up visit.
I can also provide you with a Superbill for you to submit to your insurance company for possible reimbursement. Note that payment to me is your responsibility and out-of-network coverage varies between plans.
What is the difference between a nutritionist and a dietitian?
I’m glad you asked! There is no set standard for the title of “nutritionist”. Different programs have different criteria, and all use the same “nutritionist” title at the end of the training. So while there are some fantastic nutritionist certification programs out there, you don’t know exactly what you’re getting. Registered Dietitians are board certified through the Commission on Dietetic Registration. We all have to successfully complete a college degree in nutrition science, along with an internship, that meets certain criteria and pass a board examination before we can use the title Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN).
Where are you located?
While we are located in Texas, we are currently ONLY telehealth. This model works well for those who are unable to meet in person. It can save you time, be done anywhere, makes nutrition visits more affordable, and allows for flexible scheduling (like on your lunch break!).
At Nourish & Thrive, we use HIPAA-compliant and secure technology to provide phone or video meetings, which you can access from a computer or mobile device. It’s the same level of support, same resources, and same quality experience of working with a registered dietitian that you’d receive in person.
We’d be happy to discuss how Telehealth can benefit you. Contact Katie to talk about your options!
Please note, we see clients in the following states: TX, CA, CO, VA, AZ, GA, IN.
Do I have to live in Texas to work with you?
While I strongly believe the lone star state is the best of the best 🤠… you do not have to live in Texas for me to help you. I provide virtual services, which allows us to work together remotely – isn’t technology great?
Still have questions? Contact Katie.