U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito has joined a bipartisan group of senators in reintroducing the Nutrition CARE Act, which aims to enhance access to care for seniors and individuals with disabilities suffering from eating disorders. The bill is co-sponsored by Senators Maggie Hassan, Lisa Murkowski, and Amy Klobuchar.
The proposed legislation seeks to extend Medicare Part B coverage to include outpatient medical nutrition therapy for those with eating disorders. This initiative intends to offer a more comprehensive and specialized approach than what is currently available under Medicare.
Senator Capito emphasized the importance of this bill by stating, “Eating disorders can affect anyone. They can also be particularly life-threatening for elderly Americans and those living with disabilities. The Nutrition CARE Act will expand access to medical nutrition therapy services for Medicare beneficiaries with eating disorders, helping them get the care they need to begin the path to recovery and live healthy lives.”
Under the new provisions of the Nutrition CARE Act, healthcare professionals such as physicians, registered dieticians, nutrition specialists, and mental health professionals would be authorized to provide medical nutrition therapy services. Currently, Medicare beneficiaries with an eating disorder have access only to psychiatric, therapy, and medical services.
The act proposes that beneficiaries receive 13 hours of medical nutrition therapy during their first year of service – including an initial one-hour assessment followed by 12 hours of reassessment and intervention. In subsequent years, they would be eligible for four hours of continued medical nutrition therapy annually.
