Farela Blog
Run a nutrition practice that gets paid
Practical, no-fluff guides on insurance billing, documentation, and private-practice operations — written for registered dietitians.
Insurance Billing
What Is a Superbill? (Nutrition Visits Explained)
A superbill is an itemized, coded receipt a patient sends to insurance for out-of-network reimbursement. What it must include and when it gets paid.
Insurance BillingHow Many Nutrition Visits Does Insurance Cover?
Nutrition counseling visit limits by payer and plan type, how Medicare counts hours, why caps show up as CARC 119, and how to verify remaining visits.
Insurance BillingCan Dietitians Bill Incident-To? Medicare Rules
Medicare MNT can't be billed incident-to: the RD bills under her own NPI. Where incident-to does apply to dietitians (G0447) and the audit risk.
Insurance BillingBlueCard for Dietitians: Billing Out-of-State Blues
Seeing a patient with an out-of-state Blue Cross card? Under BlueCard you file to your local Blue plan. The prefix, eligibility, routing and denial fixes.
Insurance Billing97802 vs 97803: Which Code, and Can You Bill 97802 Again?
When a visit is 97802 and when it's 97803, whether you can bill 97802 again after a gap or a new diagnosis, and what Medicare and commercial payers say.
Insurance BillingTelehealth Billing for Dietitians: POS 10, 02 & Modifier 95
Bill virtual MNT right: POS 10 vs 02, when modifier 95 is required, a payer matrix sourced from UHC, Cigna and Aetna policies, and Medicare's 2026 rules.
Insurance BillingSuperbill vs. Insurance Claims for Nutrition Practices
Superbill vs. insurance claims for dietitians: what each requires, who gets paid and when, patient cost differences, and how to run a hybrid practice.
Insurance BillingPrior Authorization for Nutrition Services: When and How
When MNT requires prior authorization, how dietitians request it, what goes on the claim, and why a no-auth denial usually can't be billed to the patient.
Insurance BillingPreventive vs. Medical Nutrition Benefits: Why It Matters
Preventive vs. medical nutrition benefits explained: how the same session routes to $0 coverage or a deductible-driven claim, and how to verify which.
Insurance BillingThe Payer Quoted Wrong Benefits: What to Do Next
The payer quoted wrong benefits, then denied the nutrition claim? The appeal ladder, the verification evidence that wins, and how to prevent a repeat.
Insurance BillingMedicare MNT Billing Guide for Dietitians (2026 Rules)
Medicare MNT for RDs: diabetes and renal disease only, 3 hours then 2, physician referral with NPI, 97802/97803 vs G0270/G0271, telehealth and claim rules.
Insurance BillingMedicare Advantage Billing for Dietitians: What to Know
How Medicare Advantage billing differs from Original Medicare for dietitians: network contracts, plan-by-plan MNT benefits, claim routing, denial traps.
Insurance BillingInsurance Verification Call Script for Dietitians (Free)
A 21-question script to verify nutrition benefits before the first visit: preventive vs. medical, limits, telehealth, referrals, cost share, plus a log.
Insurance BillingICD-10 Codes for Dietitians: Z71.3, Z68, E66 & More
The ICD-10 codes dietitians bill with MNT: Z71.3, Z68 BMI (FY2027 split), E66.811-E66.813, E11, N18, E78 and more, plus ordering rules.
Insurance BillingHow to Bill Insurance as a Registered Dietitian (2026 Guide)
Insurance billing for private-practice RDs, step by step: credentialing, verifying benefits, coding sessions, submitting claims, and getting paid.
Insurance BillingBilling Nutrition Counseling Alongside GLP-1 Care
How dietitians bill MNT for GLP-1 patients: qualifying ICD-10 codes, coverage realities, prescriber partnerships, care-plan structure, and documentation.
Insurance BillingEligibility Checks (270/271) vs. Phone Verification
What 270/271 electronic eligibility checks return in seconds, what they miss for nutrition benefits, and the hybrid verification strategy RDs should use.
Insurance BillingThe 8-Minute Rule for Dietitians: Counting MNT Units
How the 8-minute rule works for MNT codes 97802 and 97803: the full unit table, worked examples, what counts as billable time, and why rounding costs you.
Insurance BillingHow Much Does Insurance Pay Dietitians? What Sets Your Rate
What insurance reimburses dietitians per session, the factors that set your rate, how to find your real fee schedules, and how to negotiate higher.
Insurance BillingMNT CPT Codes: 97802, 97803, 97804 Explained
Which MNT code fits which nutrition visit: 97802, 97803, 97804, Medicare G0270/G0271, 99401–99404 and S9470, with a decision table and links to each code.
Insurance BillingCopays, Coinsurance & Deductibles: Collecting From Patients
How dietitians collect copays, coinsurance, and deductibles without chasing balances: quote costs at booking, card-on-file policies, small-balance math.
Insurance BillingHow to Fill Out a CMS-1500 as a Dietitian (Box-by-Box Guide)
A box-by-box CMS-1500 guide for dietitians: referring provider in box 17, ICD-10 in box 21, service lines in box 24, and the errors that cause rejections.
Insurance BillingBilling Self-Funded (ERISA) Plans as a Dietitian
Self-funded ERISA plans skip state nutrition mandates and follow federal appeal rules. How dietitians spot them during verification and bill them right.
Insurance BillingBilling Group Nutrition Sessions With CPT 97804
How CPT 97804 group MNT billing works: 30-minute units, per-hour revenue math, coverage caveats, per-participant documentation, and group ideas.
Audits & Appeals
Claim Rejection vs Denial: What's the Difference?
A rejected claim never reached adjudication; a denied claim did. How to tell them apart on a nutrition claim, and the right fix for each.
Audits & AppealsZ71.3 Denied? Why Payers Reject It and What to Use
Why Z71.3 triggers nutrition claim denials, how the preventive vs. medical split drives it, and how to find out what your payer accepts before you bill.
Audits & AppealsPayer Requested Your Chart Notes? What to Send (and Not)
A letter asking for your chart notes arrived. How to tell records retrieval from an audit, what to send, what never to send, and how to reply on time.
Audits & AppealsHow to Audit-Proof Nutrition Claims and Survive a Clawback
A system for MNT claims that hold up in a payer review: what triggers audits, a per-note checklist, the five clawback failure modes, and records requests.
Audits & AppealsTimely Filing Limits by Payer for Nutrition Claims
Timely filing limits for dietitian claims: typical payer windows, why late filing is the one unfixable denial, and the simple system that prevents it.
Audits & AppealsWhy Nutrition Claims Get Denied (and How to Fix Each)
The 9 most common reasons dietitians' MNT claims get denied or rejected, the CARC codes each shows up as, how to fix it, and the checks that prevent it.
Audits & AppealsInsurance Audits for Dietitians: Triggers & the First Letter
What triggers a payer audit of an RD's claims, and what the first letter means: records request, ADR, overpayment letter, recoupment. Plain-language guide.
Audits & AppealsHow to Read an ERA/EOB as a Dietitian
A plain-English remittance guide for RDs: CO vs PR vs OA, $0-paid ERAs vs real denials, adjustment codes, underpayment checks and payment posting.
Audits & AppealsHow to Appeal a Denied Nutrition Claim (Letter Template)
How to appeal a denied MNT claim: corrected claim vs. appeal, what to include, deadlines, escalation routes, and a copy-paste appeal letter template.
Audits & AppealsCharting for Medical Necessity: Notes That Survive Review
What medical necessity means for MNT charting, the elements payer reviewers check, a per-note necessity checklist, and phrases that help or hurt.
Documentation
How to Write an MNT Note That Gets Paid
The MNT documentation guide for RDs who bill insurance: ADIME or SOAP, PES, time and units, medical necessity, signatures, and what payers check.
DocumentationADIME Note Example & Template (Outpatient MNT)
A copy-paste ADIME template, two complete outpatient MNT examples (initial and follow-up), and what each section needs so the note supports the claim.
DocumentationSOAP Note Templates for Dietitians (with Examples)
Copy-paste SOAP note templates for MNT visits: initial, follow-up and a billing-ready block with time, units, ICD-10 and referral fields, plus an example.
DocumentationHow to Write PES Statements (With 25 Examples by Condition)
How to write PES statements that hold up: structure, NCP diagnosis domains, quality checks, and 25 example PES statements organized by condition.
DocumentationNutrition Intake Form Template Clients Actually Complete
A copy-paste nutrition intake form template for dietitians — what to ask pre-visit, what to skip, and how digital delivery gets forms completed.
DocumentationPayer Documentation Requirements for Dietitians
Payer documentation requirements for dietitians: the baseline every payer checks, Medicare MNT specifics, records requests, and retention rules.
DocumentationADIME vs. SOAP Notes for Dietitians: Which Format Fits?
ADIME vs. SOAP for dietitians: a section-by-section comparison, the same visit written both ways, where each fits, and what payers actually require.
Credentialing
NPI Type 1 vs. Type 2 for Dietitians: LLCs & Group NPIs
NPI Type 1 vs Type 2 for dietitians explained: which one you need, when an LLC and group NPI make sense, and how mismatches cause claim denials.
CredentialingHow to Enroll in Medicare as a Dietitian (PECOS Guide)
Medicare enrollment for dietitians, step by step: the PECOS walkthrough, documents you need, participating vs. not, revalidation, and what comes next.
CredentialingInsurance Credentialing for Dietitians: Step by Step (2026)
Insurance credentialing for dietitians, step by step: prerequisites, CAQH, choosing payers, the 60-120 day timeline, fee schedules, and common stalls.
CredentialingHow Long Does Credentialing Take? Timelines by Payer
Realistic credentialing timelines for dietitians: the 60-120 day range by payer type, what you can actually speed up, and signs an application has stalled.
CredentialingShould You Pay a Credentialing Service? $300 per Contract
Credentialing service vs. DIY for dietitians: what $300-350 per contract buys, honest DIY time estimates, a decision framework, and contract red flags.
CredentialingMulti-State Credentialing: Payer Contracts by State for RDs
Getting in-network in more than one state: per-state payer contracts, a Medicare enrollment per state, BlueCard for out-of-state Blues, setup order.
CredentialingWhat Is CAQH ProView? Setup, Attestation & Errors
What CAQH ProView is and how to set it up: documents you need, the 120-day attestation cycle, and the profile errors that quietly stall credentialing.
Software & Tools
SimplePractice MNT Billing: What Works and What Doesn't
Billing 97802 and 97803 in SimplePractice: unit setup, referral and telehealth fields, the Oct 1, 2026 claim fees, and where dietitians still do it by hand.
Software & ToolsKalix Alternatives for Dietitians Who Bill Insurance (2026)
Kalix alternatives for RDs: Practice Better, Healthie, SimplePractice, Nutrium and Farela compared on eligibility, AI notes, claims and price, with when to stay.
Software & ToolsHealthie Alternatives for Dietitians Who Bill Insurance
Healthie alternatives for insurance-billing RDs: Practice Better, SimplePractice, Kalix and Farela compared on claims, eligibility, ERAs and real monthly cost.
Software & ToolsFree EHR for Dietitians: What 'Free' Really Covers
Free EHRs for dietitians compared: Practice Better Sprout, CharmHealth, Office Ally, OpenEMR and Farela. What each free tier includes and what billing costs.
Software & ToolsBest Billing Software for Dietitians (Clearinghouse + EHR) 2026
Billing software for dietitians compared as a full stack: EHR plus clearinghouse, who does each step, and the real monthly cost at 40 claims, from list prices.
Software & ToolsAI Scribe for Dietitians: What to Check Before You Trust It
Before an AI scribe writes your MNT notes, test it: facts traced to the transcript, units from real time, a valid PES statement, and failures it can't hide.
Software & ToolsThe True Cost of a DIY Billing Stack for Dietitians
What the DIY insurance billing stack really costs a private-practice dietitian: subscriptions, error costs, and 15-25 hours a month of your own time.
Software & ToolsSimplePractice for Dietitians: What Works, What Doesn't
An honest SimplePractice review for dietitians: its polish and mature claims pipeline, the nutrition-specific gaps like MNT coding, and who it fits.
Software & ToolsPractice Better + Claim.MD: What's Automated, What's Manual
The Practice Better + Claim.MD stack for dietitians, factually: what the integration automates, which billing tasks stay manual, and the real time math.
Software & ToolsPractice Better Alternatives for Insurance-Based RDs (2026)
Practice Better alternatives for insurance-based RDs: Healthie, SimplePractice, Kalix and Farela compared by billing depth, with a migration checklist.
Software & ToolsHealthie vs. Practice Better vs. Farela for Dietitians
Healthie vs. Practice Better vs. Farela for dietitians: features, how deep the billing automation goes, pricing philosophy, and who should pick each.
Software & ToolsClaim.MD vs Office Ally vs Availity for Dietitians
What a clearinghouse does for dietitians, why claims die in rejection queues, and how Claim.MD, Office Ally and Availity compare for a private practice RD.
Software & ToolsBest Practice Management Software for Dietitians (2026)
Practice management platforms for RDs compared: Practice Better, Healthie, SimplePractice, Kalix, AI scribes and Farela, by how your practice runs.
Software & ToolsBest AI Scribes for Dietitians: Heidi, Twofold & the Gap
AI scribes for dietitians, honestly: what Heidi and Twofold do well, how to evaluate them, and the note-to-claim gap insurance practices still pay for.
Software & ToolsAI Charting for Dietitians: From Session to Paid Claim
What AI charting does well for RDs, where standalone scribes and ChatGPT fall short, and why the note should flow straight into codes and claims.
Compliance & Telehealth
Medicare Telehealth for MNT in 2026: What Applies
Medicare telehealth rules for 97802, 97803 and G0270 as of September 2026: home visits through 2027, POS 10 vs 02, modifiers, audio-only. Sourced.
Compliance & TelehealthTelehealth Licensure for Dietitians: State Rules (2026)
Which state license you need for telehealth nutrition: the patient-location rule, four kinds of state laws, the Dietitian Licensure Compact, penalties.
Compliance & TelehealthRecording Client Sessions: Consent Rules for Dietitians
One-party vs. all-party consent states, telehealth wrinkles, HIPAA rules for session recordings, and a consent workflow for dietitians using AI charting.
Compliance & TelehealthThe HIPAA-Compliant Tool Stack for a Solo Dietitian
Build a HIPAA-compliant tool stack for a solo nutrition practice: which email, video, forms, storage and AI tools sign BAAs, and the common leaks to plug.
Compliance & TelehealthThe HIPAA Checklist for Solo Dietitians
A realistic HIPAA checklist for solo registered dietitians: BAAs, the annual risk assessment, device security, breach basics, and a printable 15-item list.
Practice Growth
How to Start a Dietitian Private Practice: The Roadmap
A phase-by-phase roadmap to starting a dietitian private practice: entity and NPI, credentialing timelines, tool stack, first clients, first-year budget.
Practice GrowthReimbursement Course vs. Billing Software for Dietitians
Insurance billing courses for dietitians cost $79-$499/month or $4,000+ upfront. What you actually need to learn versus what software can now do for you.
Practice GrowthHow Much Do Private-Practice Dietitians Make? Honest Numbers
What private-practice dietitians actually make: revenue scenarios from part-time to full caseload, cash vs. insurance, overhead, and the unpaid admin tax.
Practice GrowthHow to Get Physician Referrals as a Dietitian (+ Templates)
How to get physician referrals as a dietitian: who to target, copy-paste outreach letter templates, and the report-back loop that keeps referrals coming.
Practice GrowthOne-Page Business Plan for a Nutrition Practice (Template)
A one-page business plan template for dietitians in private practice: 9 blocks covering niche, offer, channels, unit economics, and 90-day priorities.
Practice GrowthMalpractice Insurance for Dietitians: What You Need
What malpractice insurance dietitians actually need: professional vs. general vs. cyber liability, the $1M/$3M limits payers expect, and typical costs.
Practice GrowthHiring Your First Dietitian: Credentialing and Billing
Hiring your first dietitian? The credentialing timeline, group NPI setup, W-2 vs 1099 questions, and ramp economics that decide whether the hire pays off.
Practice GrowthHow Many Clients to Make $100k as a Dietitian?
The unit economics of a $100k dietitian private practice: revenue per session, sessions per client, overhead, and the exact caseload math by scenario.
Practice GrowthCash-Pay vs. Insurance Nutrition Practice: The Real Math
Cash-pay vs. insurance for dietitians: rates, retention, admin load, and worked scenario math to decide which model — or hybrid — earns more.
Practice GrowthWhich Nutrition Niches Reimburse Best? Picking a Specialty
The best nutrition niches for insurance reimbursement — diabetes, CKD, GLP-1 support, GI, eating disorders and more — compared honestly for RDs.
Farela
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