H.R. 6199: Medical Nutrition Therapy Act of 2025

This bill, known as the Medical Nutrition Therapy Act of 2025, aims to amend the Social Security Act to enhance the availability of medical nutrition therapy services for Medicare beneficiaries. Here are the key points outlined in the bill:

Background and Need

The bill recognizes several important findings about health and nutrition:

• Many individuals enrolled in Medicare, particularly those with chronic conditions, can benefit from medical nutrition therapy to better manage their health.
• Minority groups are disproportionately affected by chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity, which can often be managed or treated with proper nutrition.
• Currently, medical nutrition therapy is only covered for Medicare beneficiaries with specific conditions like diabetes or renal disease, limiting its use for other chronic issues.
• Research indicates that medical nutrition therapy can be cost-effective for treating conditions like hypertension, obesity, and certain gastrointestinal diseases.

Provisions of the Bill

The bill proposes several changes to expand access to medical nutrition therapy under the Medicare program:

• Expand coverage of medical nutrition therapy to include additional chronic conditions beyond just diabetes and renal disease.
• Enable multiple healthcare professionals, including physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and clinical psychologists specializing in eating disorders to provide these services.
• List specific chronic conditions that would be eligible for treatment through medical nutrition therapy, which could include:
  • Diabetes
  • Prediabetes
  • Obesity
  • Hypertension
  • Dyslipidemia
  • Malnutrition
  • Eating disorders
  • Cancer
  • Cardiovascular diseases
  • HIV/AIDS
  • Gastrointestinal diseases (such as Celiac disease)
• Modify existing exclusions that currently limit coverage for medical nutrition therapy when it is not related to the specific conditions listed.
• The changes will become effective two years after the enactment of the bill.

Overall Intent

The overall intent of the Medical Nutrition Therapy Act of 2025 is to improve the management and treatment of chronic health conditions through nutrition, expanding access for Medicare beneficiaries and enhancing preventive care services.

Relevant Companies

• None found