okay but what does a registered dietitian really do? And what sets us apart from a nutritionist?
I can’t tell you how many times I get asked what a dietitian is and does for a living. And then it seems like every time I explain to people what a dietitian is I automatically get labeled as a nutritionist, the food police, and assumed to be a perfect vegan that strictly lives off of plants.
News flash… not the case at all.
1) A registered dietitian nutritionist is very different from just a nutritionist. Nothing against nutritionists… I know several nutritionists that are GREAT at their jobs and what they do… but still not the same as a registered dietitian. I didn’t go to school for 6 years & obtain a masters degree in human nutrition to be given the same title as a personal trainer in a gym that thinks they know the ins & outs of nutrition because they watched a 30-minute webinar about counting macros (also… can we ditch the counting macros & just learn to adopt better eating habits???). Are there some nutritionists out there that are great? Yes, I know several. But did you know that no degree is needed to call yourself a nutritionist? Just keep that in mind when seeking nutrition advice, folks.
2) Definitely not the food police. Actually, kind of the farthest thing from it. I can’t tell you how many times clients that I work with expect me to give them meal plans, put them on strict diets, or are ashamed to tell me that they ate pizza for dinner last night… when in all actuality I typically find that the clients I work with AREN’T EATING ENOUGH— and are actually deficient in several areas— potentially contributing to hormone imbalances, gut issues, mood changes, and even illness and/or chronic disease. You know what that means? I encourage them to EAT MORE and add more variety to their diets to ensure that all of their bases within their bodies are covered. That doesn’t sound like the food police to me… somebody telling you that you should EAT MORE and have more freedom around food. I also want to add that I am human too and believe it or not I enjoy all the fun foods just like you all do. I just try to consume the more fun foods in moderation while simultaneously making sure to eat an abundance of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. I truly think this approach is more sustainable than entering into the world of dieting.
& 3) Again, I am human and not perfect with my eating either. In fact, I don’t think anybody on this planet can say that they eat perfectly/have a perfect relationship with food. I think we all have our own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to diet and the food that we choose to put into our bodies. I just do my best (and encourage my clients) to practice intuitive eating, a non-dieting approach to change eating habits, portion control, and mindful eating. I encourage my clients to avoid strict diets and instead focus on making small lifestyle changes that will add up over time.
Okay… glad we cleared that up. Now onto what’s really important…
WHAT DOES A REGISTERED DIETITIAN DO?
What does a session with a registered dietitian look like?
Are sessions with registered dietitians covered by health insurance?
Does Nicole Baker Nutrition LLC accept health insurance?
What does a registered dietitian do? Registered dietitians are recognized as health professionals who are experts in the field of human nutrition, metabolism, and diet. The thing about registered dietitians that sets us apart from other nutritionists is that it is in our standards of practice to ONLY teach EVIDENCE-BASED nutrition while also taking an individualized approach with each patient and/or client that we serve. Why? Because nutrition counseling is not a “one-size-fits-all” type thing. Our bodies are different, therefore what works for my body might not be what works best for yours. That being said it is in our standards of practice to conduct a full nutrition assessment (which includes evaluation of past medical history, surgical history, social history, weight history, medication use, bloodwork analysis, etc.) prior to providing ANY nutrition advice to the clients that we serve. We also collaborate with other medical professionals (nurses, speech therapists, physical therapists, pharmacists, physicians, etc.) to ensure that our patients/clients are receiving high-quality & well-rounded care.
That leads me to my next question…
What does a session with a registered dietitian look like? As I previously mentioned, us registered dietitians take an individualized approach when working with our patients/clients. That being said, a session with a registered dietitian will never be the same from individual-to-individual. However, if adhering to the current standards of practice for our field one should expect that the following be covered during a consultation with a dietitian:
Nutrition Assessment: Given that dietitians take an individualized approach when working with our patients and/or clients, a nutrition assessment is necessary to better understand, diagnose, and treat our clients. Shown below is what one should expect to cover during an initial consultation with a registered dietitian:
Past medical history
Surgical history
Social history
Nutritional history
Nutrition-focused-physicial-exam to assess for nutritional deficiencies
Current dietary habits
Anthropometric’s
Medication use and evaluation for potential drug-nutrient interactions
Bloodwork analysis and the nutritional implications that go along with it
Nutrition Diagnosis: Once the nutrition assessment portion of our session is complete I would then utilize all of the information gathered to come up with one (or several) nutrition diagnoses.
Nutrition Intervention: Once a diagnosis is made the registered dietitian would then use their clinical judgement and intervene in whatever way that they feel necessary (given that all standards of practice are followed). Nutrition-related interventions may include simply making dietary recommendations for the client to follow, meal planning, referring the client to another specialist if needed, making the appropriate recommendations to the clients medical provider (including recommendations for lab work to be done to better assess the clients nutritional history in addition to pointing out potential drug-nutrient interactions), providing in-depth nutrition education (and/or counseling) when appropriate, making sure to work closely with the clients other medical providers to ensure proper continuity of care, etc. There are many ways a dietitian can intervene to assist in improving clinical outcomes for the clients that we serve!
Monitoring & Evaluation: The purpose of the monitoring & evaluation step in the nutrition care process is to determine and measure the amount of progress made for the nutrition intervention(s) and whether the nutrition-related goals are being met.
Phew. Thank you for being patient and getting through all of that with me! I also want to add that one should expect that all of those bases be covered during a consultation with a registered dietitian… if not, you should probably find yourself a new dietitian!
Okay, we covered what a registered dietitian does and what one should expect a session with us to look like, so now I’ll get to the next question I wanted to address in this blog….
Are sessions with registered dietitians covered by health insurance? While the answer to this question isn’t simply black and white (lets be real…is anything black and white when dealing with insurance?) I am going to say YES for the purpose of this blog. YES, there are several insurance providers that contract with dietitians and provide reimbursement for their services. However, not all insurance companies work with dietitians AND its important to note that for the ones that do, there is a limit on how many sessions one can have on an annual-basis.
Does Nicole Baker Nutrition LLC accept health insurance? Not currently… but COMING SOON! I, having just started my private practice, am currently in the process of getting credentialed with several insurance companies… and for those that are curious this process can (and has been) a LENGTHY one! I am currently credentialed with Medicare and am awaiting confirmation of successful credentialing/contracting with BCBS, United Healthcare, and Aetna. I will also be working towards becoming credentialed with other major insurers in the future, however, due to current licensure limitations in Michigan these are the only insurance carriers I am credentialing with at this time.
P.S. I HAVE GREAT NEWS!!!! On April 30, 2024, Governor Whitmer signed HB 4608 into law. This marks a significant milestone in the field of dietetics as this means that dietitians will now be LICENSED in the state of Michigan— meaning more insurance carriers will agree to contract with dietitians. MEANING Nicole Baker Nutrition LLC will very likely be accepting of more insurance carriers (as a method of payment for my services rendered) in the years to come.
Ultimately, my goal as a private practice dietitian is to be able to accept health insurance IN ADDITION to having cash-paying clients. Why? By accepting multiple forms of payment I am able to diversify the population that I serve.
FOR THOSE THAT ARE OUT-OF-NETWORK please note that Nicole Baker Nutrition LLC does happily accept private-cash-paying clients. Accepted methods of payment include cash, credit, debit, Paypal, HSA, or FSA. It should also be noted that Nicole Baker Nutrition LLC can provide a super-bill (a receipt of services rendered) to submit to your insurance provider for potential reimbursement.
Out-of-network AND unable to afford private pay rates? Don’t hesitate to reach out to discuss sliding-scale payment options as Nicole Baker Nutrition LLC wants to ensure that everybody has access to nutrition counseling services!
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