Health Coaching and MNT: Opportunity or Threat

Health insurance providers working to improve patient engagement and positively impact outcomes are turning to health coaches to drive behavior change. Coaching may also increase access to and appropriate utilization of other healthcare services, including referrals to MNT. To document usage of this emerging service, three new Category lll CPT codes for health and wellbeing coaching have recently been approved by the American Medical Association. While coaching is not the same service as MNT, many RDNs integrate coaching methods in their MNT practice and may offer coaching services separate from MNT.

Utilizing sample practice scenarios, speakers will address the intersections of coaching and MNT and clarify the differences in provision and payment from a legal, ethical and practice perspective. They will provide an overview of the new CPT codes for coaching and address payment for the services. Speakers will also discuss how coaching and MNT codes can be used to track service usage and outcomes.

CPE Level: Level 2
CPEU: 1.0

Performance Indicators

• 1.1.6 Recognizes and manages situations with ethical implications.
• 2.2.3 Identifies opportunities for shared benefit and/ or vision.
• 3.2.3 Pursues and embraces opportunities to advance practice.

Learning Objectives

• Cite legal, ethical and practice differences between MNT and coaching.
• Explain how coaching services can complement MNT
• Identify three new Category lll CPT codes for health and wellbeing coaching.

Speakers

• Caroline Susie
• Julie Schwartz