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Reimbursement Coach for Dietitians

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Is accepting insurance as a dietitian hard ?

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Is accepting insurance as a dietitian hard? This is perhaps one of the most asked questions I receive as a reimbursement coach for dietitians. 

 

And before I fully answer this question I want to chat a little about mindset. 

 

I am a firm believer your success in your insurance-based private practice is pretty much 10000000 percent related to your mindset. 

 

And to be crystal clear, success in private practice means SUPER different things to different dietitians. 

 

For some RDs success in their private practice looks like one or more of these …

 

… working when they want to work 

… working with who they want to work 

… not having to answer to anyone but themselves 

… leading a rockstar team 

… traveling frequently to cool places on their bucket list 

… contributing financially to their family in a way that feels good to them 

… making $50,0000 per year 

… making $50,000 per month 

… spending holidays at home with their family (not at their clinical job) 

… having sufficient time for self-care 

… having time to engage in their hobbies 

… being able to give back time (and/or) money to the organizations that matter most to them 

 

Being successful is NOT always about making x amount of dollars. If that is important to you. Awesome! If not. Also awesome. Because when you work for yourself YOU get to decide ultimately what success looks like for you. 

accepting insurance as a dietitian hard ?

 

However, in order for you to get to the next level (whatever that looks like for YOU!) you need to THINK and ACT wildly differently than you previously have. Your thoughts and action are the EXACT reason why you are where you are right now. And only you can change that. 

 

So I think this would be a great segway into the question I get asked oh-so-frequently is accepting insurance in private practice hard? 

 

So Amy P. is accepting insurance as a dietitian hard?

 

Hard is a relative term. 

 

And just like success the term hard means different things to different people. 

 

As an RD, you have already done some wicked hard shit. So I am always perplexed when RDs ask me this question. 

 

Like as if you are a stranger to hard work, hustle, grit, discipline, and tenacity. Said no dietitian ever. 

 

So Amy P. get back to the question is accepting insurance as a dietitian hard? 

 

My personal opinion is it all falls back on the mindset. 

 

When I first started accepting insurance in 2008, I knew it was going to be hard for lots of reasons. But I did it anyway. 

 

I really wanted to help the people who needed my services most. Not just the ones who could afford them. And while self-pay has its place, for me personally, it was just not a sustainable plan. Especially when people pay a lot of money for their insurance benefits. 

 

So I dove in HARD. 

 

For good or for bad at the time there was no one running an insurance-based model I could even ask for help. However, to be honest with you it was this ‘can-do attitude’ that has gotten me through time and time again. 

 

Trust me, I am no different than you. 

 

But I believe in myself more than I fear failure. 

 

Every single challenge I faced (and there were TONS!) I approach them as an opportunity to win. And while I know we tend to give trophies to everyone these days, I am not going to deny the fact that REALLY winning in life and in your practice is vital. 

 

It is not enough to open up shop as an insurance-based dietitian. Anyone can do that. But what is vital is that you learn to win at it. 

 

And guess what? 

 

You are probably going to fall down a bunch of times before you hit that grand slam. 

 

Treating success in your practice as an option is one of the many reasons why there are a lot of insurance-based dietitians but few who are killing it. 

 

I have a canvas in my office that says, “I have to be successful because I like expensive things.’ And that ain’t no lie. Being successful is my duty, obligation, and responsibility I have to myself. 

 

I am capable of it and you are too. 

 

But you need to embrace the suck. Do the hard things. Stop making excuses. And start living up to your potential. 

 

Quit lying to yourself that success is not important. Stop telling yourself your insurance-based practice is just a side hustle. 

 

Because if you keep telling yourself that bullshit. 

 

Guess what? It will continue to be just that. 

Is accepting insurance as a dietitian hard ?

 

So your homework for today is this: define what your definition of success looks like for you and don’t stop working towards that until you have achieved it. 

 

Success is not like playing the lottery, bingo, or cards. There can be many winners. There is no shortage of success. 

 

Your insurance-based practice can be wildly successful. But it will only be if you believe in yourself and put in the work. 

 

So stop whining and being a crybaby shedding tears and lamenting insurance sucks. Because whatever going on in your insurance-based practice good, bad, or nothing is caused by you. 

 

It’s time to assume responsibility, take massive action, change your mindset to ‘I got this shit,’ and let’s do this. 

 

Need help?!? I got you boo. Check out my EPIC reimbursement coaching program that helps you start, manage and scale your insurance-based practice.

 

Cool? 

 

Thanks for listening to my Ted Talk. 

 

Let’s go! 

 

is accepting insurance hard as a dietitian?

Dietitians billing for out-of-network patients: How to Do It

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In this short video, I review the 4 different options for dietitians billing for out-of-network patients. The term out of network simply means you don’t have a contract with that particular insurance company.  You might not have a contract for numerous reasons: you decided not to participate with them, the network might be closed or you may actually be in the credentialing process but are not yet considered in-network. Therefore, all of these options would qualify you as an out-of-network provider. When a patient reaches and wants a visit BUT they have insurance you don’t accept you have four options.

 

 

dietitians billing for out-of-network patients

 

The 4 different options for dietitians billing for out-of-network patients

 

1. Charge them your cash rate (in many instances known as your prompt pay rates), then collect the money at the time of service & ultimately provide them an invoice.

 

2. Issue them a superbill. Then on the superbill charge your usual and customary rates (aka your insurance rates), collect the money at the time of service & the patient takes the superbill & submits it to their carrier on their own. Most importantly, they will ONLY receive money from the insurance company if they have out-of-network MNT benefits on their policy. So there is no guarantee when you issue a superbill that the patient will ever see that money.

 

Need a superbill? I got you, Sis! I created one for you. Click HERE to scoop it up.

 

3. Charge their HSA card (Health Savings Account) your usual & customary rates by running the HSA card through your credit card processor. Remember you must be set up as a health care provider with the credit card company. If you are not the HSA card will be declined.

 

4. Submit the claim through your EMR or clearinghouse on behalf of the patient as an out-of-network claim. I would suggest collecting the money upfront (usual & customary rates in this situation as well) and THEN submitting it. If you click ‘no’ for box 27 on the CMS 1500 where it says ‘Accept Assignment’ IF the patient has out-of-network benefits on their policy the insurance company will send & issue the check to the patient (not you!).

 

The Reimbursement Dietitian is here to help …

 

Are you a dietitian who needs help starting with insurance? I am your chick. Check out my epic coaching services that help you get credentialed, bill the shit out of insurance, and make the money you deserve as a Registered Dietitian.

 

Want daily tips & guidelines (and a good laugh) on insurance and private practice? Follow me on IG HERE.

Telehealth for Dietitians

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Telehealth for Dietitians – What’s the Deal?

 

 

Holy whoa March. You threw us some curveballs. But April my friend us RDNs are coming for you with vengeance. And we are starting the month off right by getting down and dirty with the deets regarding telehealth for dietitians. So with that being said let’s get the party started. 

 

 

Hands up for RDNs Collaborating

 

 

True story. 

 

As a private practice dietitian, I am a LITTLE bit of a loner. 

 

Well. I guess it would be more accurate to say I am a TOTAL loner. 

 

You see, when you work in the world of private practice it is often YOU against the world. 

 

Especially in the world of insurance reimbursement. 

 

When I started my practice in 2007 I knew no other dietitians in private practice. 

 

So I stumbled, fumbled & made EVERY single possible mistake possible. 

 

Things that should have taken seconds to complete – took me days. If not months. 

Telehealth for Dietitians

 

 

These are just a couple of the descriptive terms that come to mind when I think of my early beginnings as an insurance-based dietitian. 

 

Enter a Community of Like-minded Dietitians

 

So, you can imagine my delight when I discovered social media accounts on places like Facebook & IG where dietitians in the world of insurance & reimbursement come together on the daily and openly discuss issues we are facing as insurance-based private practice RDs. 

 

These social spaces have become my savior and the dietitians in these groups I am happy to call my sistas from other mistas. 

 

This week I had the pleasure of serving on a panel of these reimbursement dietitian experts.

 

I was honored, humbled & excited – all at the same time. 

 

These dietitians are freakin’ bosses. 

 

 

Telehealth for Dietitians – We Break it Down for You

 

Six of us came together with the shared purpose of educating and bringing RDNs up to speed with the current changes in telehealth. And we created a video that summarizes EVERYTHING you need to know about the current changes in insurance reimbursement for dietitians. 

 

 

In our video we go over the following:

 

  • WHAT every RDN NEEDs to know about telehealth right NOW
  • HOW telehealth for dietitians needs to be billed and coded to get paid FAST
  • HIPPA requirements for telehealth for dietitians
  • Documentation requirements for telehealth for dietitians
  • How to get your patients on board with telehealth
  • How to work with the aging populations and telehealth
  • And much, much more

 

There has NEVER. EVER. been a better time to be an insurance-based dietitian. 

 

Our nutrition services are NEEDED more than ever in pretty much every area of the population. Plus, almost ALL major insurances are covering telehealth with no co-pay or cost-share required.

 

Need help getting credentialed, learning how to bill and make the cheddar you deserve as a dietitian? Click HERE to apply to my coaching programs. #igotyoudietitian

 

–> –> –> Click HERE to watch the Telehealth for Dietitians video.

 

5 Reasons Why I Don’t Think Dietitians Should Hire a Credentialing Agency

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5 Reasons Why I Don’t Think Dietitians Should Hire a Credentialing Agency

 

 

Are you a dietitian thinking about accepting health insurance in your nutrition practice? 

 

Super overwhelmed by what seems like a ridiculously foreign process? 

 

Questioning whether or not you need to hire a credentialing agency to help get the job done? 

 

Well girl – stop right there. The short story is – you are smarter than you think. In this blog, I am going to give you the 411 on my top five reasons why I don’t think dietitians should hire a credentialing agency. So sit back. Count your cold earned cash. I am going to save you a bundle. 

 

 

Top five reasons why I don’t think dietitians should hire a credentialing agency

 

 

dietitians should hire a credentialing agency

 

It is really NOT that hard

 

I promise. The whole getting credentialed with insurance is SUPER overwhelming. I get it. I have been there. In fact, I have been there five times. This is because each time you hire a new dietitian you must credential them individually as well as part of your group. 

 

But I am here to let you in on a little secret – getting yourself credentialed with insurance is NOT hard. It is actually a fairly straight-forward progress. Is it foreign to us dietitians? Yes. But that is only because it is not something that we are taught in school or during our dietetic internship. 

 

Does the credentialing process require patience? Yes. Can the process be frustrating? Yes. Is the credentialing process hard? Absolutely not. 

 

You survived your dietetic internship and an eternity of academic bullshit work. Getting credentialed with insurance companies is not hard. So, stop telling yourself it is. Therefore, tuck this as reason one of the many reasons I don’t think dietitians should hire a credentialing agency.

 

It is a fairly standard process

 

While most insurance companies have their own application, there are certain aspects of the credentialing process that are pretty standard. In general, there are three main phases to becoming an in-network provider:

I don’t think dietitians should hire a credentialing agency.

 

And believe it or not – the above 4 steps are pretty homogenous among ALL insurance carriers you might want to work with. Therefore, if you follow these steps and do what each insurance company requests, then you are good to go. 

 

It can be expensive

 

Hiring an agency you to get you credentialed with health insurance companies can be expensive. I personally have never used a company to get credentialed. However, based on what other dietitians have told me the process can be pricey. 

 

On the Healthy Bytes website (one of the well-known credentialing agencies for dietitians) they report a price tag of $1395 for 4 insurance contracts. If you are just getting started out in private practice, there is a good chance you are not generating enough income where your business can easily absorb this cost. Couple this with the fact that the process isn’t as hard as you think, further supporting why I don’t think dietitians should hire a credentialing agency. 

 

Trust me. There are lots of things in your nutrition practice that you will need to spend your hard-earned cash on. A credential company is certainly not one of them. I don’t think dietitians should hire a credentialing agency nor do they need them to get the job done. 

 

You kinda owe it to yourself to know your business inside and out

 

I think if you are a private practice dietitian it is CRITICAL to know EVERY SINGLE aspect of your business before you start outsourcing tasks. After all, it is YOUR business. And the only way to be awesome at your business is know your business. This includes all aspects of your business – even the less-than-sexy aspects like credentialing. 

 

Also let’s think ahead to the future. When your practice grows so fast that you need to add more dietitian(s) to your practice. Guess what happens at this point? You now need to credential and contract these dietitians before they can see any of your patients. So, if you outsourced the credentialing for YOU then you have no idea how to get the new dietitian(s) credentialed. Therefore, you need to pony up the cash AGAIN to the credentialing agency to get them set up. 

 

So, bottom line if you hire someone to do what seems like ‘dirty’ work – then you haven’t learned anything about how credentialing even works. You gave your power (and money) away to a credentialing agency. And for what? Because something seemed hard. Girl you have certainly been through worse. Believe me. Stop doubting yourself. This leads me to reason number 5 for why I don’t think dietitians should hire a credentialing agency. 

 

You CAN do it

 

I save the most important reason for last. At the end of the day, you can do it. I seriously have NO doubt that you can complete the credentialing process on your own without spending a dime. You are a badass dietitian who is smart, has awesome critical thinking skills, and is excellent at following directions. That is pretty much all you need to complete the credentialing process. 

 

Next week on the blog I will discuss the specific steps you need to complete the credentialing process. However, for now, I will leave you with some tips to consider before diving into the details next week. 

 

1. Apply to a handful of insurance companies all at once.

The applications are all pretty similar and you will be copying the same information on each one. Also, by applying to a couple of companies at once, you increase the likelihood of being successful with at least one company. That way you can get started with some patients while you wait on the other insurance companies. 

 

2. Stay organized.

Keep copies of all paperwork you fill out and send. Note dates, times, and specific people who you spoke at the respective insurance companies. Get references number for calls you make as well. Hopefully, everything will go smoothly, and will not need them. But it is always good to be prepared. 

 

3. Be proactive.

The credentialing process from start to contract can take anywhere from 2 to 12 months. Therefore, even if you are in the very beginning stages of your nutrition private practice and you don’t have any patients start now. That way by the time you are ready to go you will be credentialed and ready to accept insurance. 

 

So, I hope that was not too much information to digest. But please believe me. I totally get it. The whole insurance thing and private practice can be confusing. But it is only as confusing as you allow it to be. The process is certainly not hard. It is pretty straightforward. You are fully capable of doing it on your own without ponying up any cash. Therefore, the bottom line is I don’t think dietitians should hire a credentialing agency. And for Pete’s sake. Give yourself more credit. You are a freaking badass dietitian. Nuff said. 

 

Need a little support? My group coaching programs help get you credentialed, teach you how to bill the shit out of insurance and make the money you deserve. Click here to learn more about my epic programs.