What went right? The story of US Medicare Medical Nutrition Therapy

When President Lyndon Johnson signed the Medicare and Medicaid bill into law in 1965, it ended the 46-year campaign to enact a healthcare program for senior citizens and started what is now a 42-year effort by the American Dietetic Association (ADA) and its members to expand its coverage to 'nutrition services' for all appropriate diseases, disorders and conditions. In December 2000, Congress passed a Medicare Part B Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) provision, limited to patients with diabetes and/or renal disease, effective January 2002. In December 2003, the Medicare Modernization Act expanded access to MNT benefit and ADA continues to focus on the role of the registered dietician in MNT. Successful expansion of MNT benefits will require that ADA continues to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness and efficacy of nutrition counseling, as performed by the registered dietitian.