Toolkit: Healthcare Policy and Practice Opportunities for Senior Nutrition Programs Part 2 – Launching an In-Home Medical Nutrition Therapy Program

Nutrition services provided by community-based organizations have been shown to positively impact the physical, mental and social well-being of older adults and adults with disabilities. Increasingly, such services are being recognized as a key component of holistic client-centered care. For example, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed in its Contract Year 2020 Medicare Advantage Advance Notice and Draft Call Letter to establish a new category of supplemental benefits. As such, Medicare Advantage (MA) plans would have the flexibility next year to provide non-medical health-related supplemental benefits (i.e., nutrition services) that can address social determinants of health. Senior nutrition programs are well-positioned to take advantage of this opportunity as many offer high-value congregate and home-delivered meals, nutrition education and nutrition counseling.

In celebration of National Nutrition Month, this two-part National Resource Center on Nutrition and Aging (NRCNA) webinar will offer an update on recent changes in the Medicare policy landscape that will enable the provision of new medical and non-medical benefits to seniors. Join us to gain insights from the experiences of an innovative senior nutrition program contracted to offer a menu of nutrition services to local managed care plan recipients.

PART 2: Launching an In-Home Medical Nutrition Therapy Program

Attendees of this webinar:

1. Explored the process and outcomes senior nutrition programs need to focus on when contracting with managed care payors for in-home medical nutrition therapy services;
2. Identified the key steps necessary to develop a sustainable medical nutrition therapy program;
3. Examined strategies for the successful implementation of key client-centered business processes, from referral to billing, for the provision of in-home medical nutrition therapy services;
4. Identified scalable and replicable elements of an innovative package of nutrition services.

Click here for Healthcare Policy and Practice Opportunities for Senior Nutrition Programs Part 1

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PRESENTERS: Jennifer Raymond, Chief Strategy Officer and Director of the Healthy Living Center of Excellence at the Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley

FACILITATOR: Ucheoma Akobundu, Director, NRCNA

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Downloads and Webinar Recording:

Slide Deck

Audio Recording

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Resources:

Reports on ESMV:

• Partner Profile: Cross-Sector Partnership Success
• Communicating with Front-line Staff about Healthcare Partnerships (video)

Medical Nutrition Therapy resources:

• RDNs and MNT
• Medical Nutrition Therapy Providing Return on Investment
• MNT Tip Sheet (Opportunities for Reimbursement Potential)

Other resources:

• Toolkit: Healthcare Policy and Practice Opportunities for Senior Nutrition Programs Part 1 – The Evolving Healthcare Legislation Landscape
• Evidence-Based Leadership Council
• Nutrition Education in Congregate/Home Delivered Meal Programs
• Strategies for Your RDN to Add Value & Increase Engagement in Healthcare Arena
• Positioning Your HCBS Program in the Healthcare Market
• Medicare Enrollment Tips for Providers
• Opportunities to Improve Nutrition for Older Adults and Reduce Risks of Poor Outcomes
• Medicare Basics for Registered Dietitians
• Payment for RDs Offering Medical Nutrition Therapy
• NCOA – Medicare Provider Enrollment Process
• Guide to Insurance and Reimbursement (for Registered Dietitians)
• 2018 Medicare Fee Schedule for RDNs – MNT and G-Codes
• 2019 Physician Fee Schedule Search