List 4 patient populations who qualify for Medicare reimbursement for home and community-based professional nutrition educational services provided by a registered dietitian

• A. Diabetes; Pre-dialysis kidney disease; Post-kidney transplant; Doctor referral
• B. Hypertension; Obesity; No physician referral; Live alone
• C. Asthma; Liver disease; Cancer; Age over 75
• D. Pregnancy; Vitamin deficiency; Sports injuries; Pediatric only

Answer: (A)

Medicare reimburses medical nutrition therapy provided by a registered dietitian when a physician orders it and the patient has a qualifying condition. The populations covered for home or community-based nutrition education are individuals with diabetes and those with kidney disease, including pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease and kidney transplant recipients. A physician referral is required for reimbursement. Other conditions listed are not typically covered for this RD-led nutrition education, and the lack of a physician referral would prevent payment. So the combination that fits Medicare reimbursement criteria is diabetes, pre-dialysis kidney disease, post-kidney transplant, with a doctor referral.