Medicare Part B covers medical nutrition therapy (MNT) services and some related services that integrate nicely with what a Consultant Pharmacist can offer.

However, MNT must be provided by a registered dietitian or a nutritional professional who meets certain requirements.

This is a GREAT option for pharmacists who also have a professional background in nutrition.

Even though MNT can only be provided by a nutrition professional, it still MUST be ordered by a doctor.

MNT services may include:

• An initial nutrition and lifestyle assessment
• Individual and/or group nutrition therapy services
• Follow-up visits to check on your progress in managing your diet

If a patient resides in a rural area, they may be able to get MNT through telehealth.

A pharmacist with a nutrition degree could provide MNT services as an off-site consultant.

For patients being treated in a dialysis facility, Medicare covers MNT as part of your overall dialysis care.

Codes and Criteria:

97802 – MNT; initial assessment and intervention, individual, face-to-face with the patient, each 15 minutes

97803 – MNT; re-assessment and intervention, individual, face-to-face with the patient each 15 minutes

97804 – MNT; group (2 or more individual(s)), each 30 minutes

G0270 – MNT reassessment and subsequent intervention(s) for change in diagnosis, individual, each 15 minutes

G0271 – MNT reassessment and subsequent intervention(s) for change in diagnosis, group (2 or more), each 30 minutes

• The pharmacist may bill for MNT only if they are also a qualified nutritional professional
• Medicare covers 100% of the cost of Medical Nutrition Therapy for patients with diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). Patients with CKD do not qualify if they are already on dialysis.
• In general, MNT consists of multiple, one-on-one sessions between an RD and a patient, in which the RD performs the nutrition assessment, diagnosis, counseling.

How you can utilize this code:

MNT should not be confused with diabetes self-management training (DSMT), however.

​DSMT is an education and training program that helps patients manage their diabetes, whereas MNT consists of more individualized diagnosis, therapy, and counseling related to nutrition.

According to the American Dietetic Association’s 2009 White Paper on Nutrition Services that distinguishes between the delivery of DSMT and MNT services, the DSMT curriculum that is accredited by Medicare consists of 1 hour of individualized assessment and 9 hours of group classes.

DSMT curriculum is focused on “incorporating nutritional management into lifestyle,” and “using medications safely and for maximum therapeutic effectiveness.”

Sometimes it may be most helpful for patients to receive DSMT first, followed by MNT. Other patients may receive DSMT and MNT simultaneously.

A consultant pharmacist may partner with a nutritional professional to offer a collaborative DSMT/MNT program.

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What services are you implementing in 2019?

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