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Q&A

What is a Dietitian ?

A Registered Dietitian (or Registered Dietitian Nutritionist) is a protected title in many states that is reserved for a professional who:

1. Has completed an undergraduate program in Nutrition and Dietetics

2. Has completed a Dietetic Internship (1200 supervised hours)

3. Has sat for a national exam testing competencies to practice nutrition therapy

4. Maintains licensure in their state of residence and registration within the United States

5. Completes continuing education credits throughout their career to keep up with the most up to date nutrition science. 

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A dietitian is a nutritionist, but a nutritionist is not always a dietitian! 

Will my health insurance cover Dietitian services?

Full Life is in network with Aetna and out of network with all other insurance providers. Many of our clients are successful with using Out Of Network benefits with their insurance, but it is the responsibility of the client to check with their insurance company for OON benefits prior to beginning sessions. Your insurance company will likely require a diagnosis to be on file in order to reimburse you. You will need to ask your doctor or therapist to send documentation of your diagnosis to Full Life in order to take advantage of SuperBills. Clients are responsible for payment on the day of service. 

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Clients are responsible for contacting their insurance to verify their benefits so they know what coverage to expect and if they will have a copay.

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** As of May 2024 we are in the process of paneling with Blue Cross Blue Shield. There is no timeline for if or when we will be fully credentialed and ready to accept insurance payments. Until then, you can still use OON benefits. 

What forms of payment does Full Life take?

All clients are required to have a card on file before their initial session (not before their discovery call). Clients can choose to put a credit card, debit card, HSA or FSA card on file. If you are submitting to your insurance for Out Of Network reimbursement, you will still be required to pay for services out of pocket while waiting for reimbursement. Full Life uses an autopay system that will charge your card overnight after your session. All sessions are offered on a sliding scale rate. If you would like to take advantage of sliding scale pricing please ask during your discovery call. 

Why do you specify an age range?

There aren't nearly enough practitioners who work with adolescents and even fewer practitioners who have specific training to provide quality adolescent care. With this in mind, Full Life is committed to using their background in adolescent treatment at high levels of care to offer a very necessary service in Washington, Oregon and Missouri. We know that adolescent eating disorder treatment is not the same as adult treatment, so our style with teens and pre-teens is specifically oriented and designed to help young people pursue long term recovery. Being a dietetic practice, we do not provide therapy, but we have received training in CBT (cognitive behavior therapy), DBT (dialectic behavior therapy), and FBT (family based therapy) which allows us to bring in aspects of therapeutic skills to the session in a way that supports our clients. 

I don't reside in Washington, Oregon or Missouri, can I still see you?

Dietetic licensure laws require that dietitians only provide medical nutrition therapy (MNT) in the states where they are licensed. Our team is presently only licensed in the states of Washington, Oregon and Missouri, so individual and family sessions are limited to those residing in those states. Virtual sessions are available for any resident of WA, OR or MO. There are a few states that do not have dietetic licensure requirements and allow out of state nutrition counseling: Colorado, California, Arizona, and Virginia. 

 

 Since our group meal support is not providing individualized MNT, it is open to those in any state in the US. 

Questions to ask your insurance to verify benefits:

  • Do I have coverage for outpatient nutrition counseling?

    • Procedure codes 97802 and 97803

  • Are there limitations on what diagnoses are covered?

    • If yes, is an eating disorder diagnosis covered?

    • If yes, for general nutrition counseling, is the diagnosis code Z71.3 for dietary counseling and surveillance covered?

  • Do I have to meet a deductible before I receive insurance reimbursement?

    • If so, how much is my deductible?

  • Do I need a referral from my primary care provider?

  • How many sessions are covered?

  • Are services covered when conducted via telehealth?

  • Is Full Life Nutrition Counseling in-network with my plan?

You can also ask for the reference number for the phone call from the customer service representative and note the date you contacted your insurance. This information can be used if you ever need to dispute a claim.

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