Your Visit

Before Your Visit

1. Insurance. Check with your insurance company about any dietitian-related services that may be covered under your policy (procedure codes 97802 and 97803.) At this time, we accept United, Cigna and Aetna insurance. Please inquire with us if you have Anthem/Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS). Depending upon your policy, your visit may or may not be covered. Please contact your insurance provider IN ADVANCE to avoid receiving a bill from our office. You will be responsible for payment in full for any claims that your insurance company denies that we filed on your behalf. If we are not credentialed with your insurance company, we are considered out-of-network and can provide you with an insurance form that you can then submit to your insurance company for any potential “out-of-network benefits” you may have. You will be required to pay out-of-pocket for your visit at the time of service and can seek reimbursement from your insurance company thereafter. Please note: if your policy covers you to see a dietitian, and you have a deductible plan that you have NOT yet met, please let us know if you would still like us to submit a claim that can be applied towards your deductible. In doing so, you will be responsible for paying Essential Nutrition the full dollar amount that your insurance company applies towards your deductible. Keep in mind, this may be significantly higher than our self-pay rate. This is true for any in-network provider you may see under your policy, so please check with your insurance company first about whether or not your deductible has been met if this is of concern for you. Additionally, if we are NOT covered under your insurance plan, you may inquire with your insurance company about obtaining a “single case agreement” where one of our out-of-network dietitians may be able to see you as though they are in-network. Please contact us for more details.
2. Finding the Right Dietitian for You. When you schedule your appointment, please provide a few details about your health concerns and questions so we can be sure to pair you with the proper dietitian. If your visit is covered under insurance, please let our scheduler know this at the time you are scheduling your appointment as not all of our dietitians are in-network with every insurance company listed above. You may also visit our page “Select The Right Dietitian For You” page (embed link in title.)
3. Online Health Assessment. For your first visit with us, we will want to gather background information about you to help us direct our care and recommendations. This will be done, in part, by filling out our online health assessment form that you can access and complete through your online portal (created for you once you schedule your first appointment.) Once your first session is scheduled, you will receive an email with details on how to access our HIPAA-compliant patient portal, where you will be able to access and complete all other required legal forms. Please complete these forms before your first visit so we can be as prepared as possible for your visit and avoid taking time away from counseling to have to complete paperwork.
4. Your History. Please contact your other healthcare providers to be sure they send us copies of any pertinent medical records or test results in a timely fashion manner. We prefer to have those on-hand prior to your visit, if possible. You can also safely and securely upload test results and other documents you may have in your own files through your patient portal. You may also bring copies with you that we can upload for you. While this is not a requirement, it will greatly assist us in determining the best course for your nutritional care.
5. List of Medications. Make a list of the medications you are taking, including prescription as well as over-the-counter, and any dietary or herbal supplements. It may be most helpful to bring the bottles with you or take photos of the labels (being sure to capture the amounts and forms of ingredients contained in each supplement).
6. Bring Your Person. Consider bringing a friend or relative with you on your visit. There is no additional charge for a friend or loved one to attend your session. It may be helpful to bring someone to help, take notes, share pertinent medical information, and talk openly with us.
7. Food Log. Start keeping a food log and/or symptom log, if you feel this would provide your dietitian with a more accurate representation of your eating habits vs just relying on recall. It helps to be as specific as possible with times you eat, as well as any product brand names, and portions of each food. We recommend a minimum of 3 “typical” days for a food log and a week to a month (or longer) for a symptom log. Please do NOT keep a food log if you currently have, or have a history of, an eating disorder until after speaking with your dietitian first.
8. Your List of Questions. Write down a list of your primary questions and concerns. It is important to us that we address what’s most important to you. People usually think they will be able to remember everything they want to discuss, but then often forget important details and/or questions once they’re sitting in our office. So don’t be shy about pulling out any list you may have for us! Keep in mind, if you have multiple areas of interest to discuss, it may be worthwhile to prioritize your items in case time doesn’t allow each one to be covered adequately during the initial session. Any additional areas of concern can, of course, be addressed at future sessions.