implore Medicare to reimburse registered dietitians for medical nutrition therapy for obesity, prediabetes &hypertension

This preventive service should be considered on a trial basis, with the potential, by regulation, a permanent benefit. Medicare would collect PQRS data, for 3-6 mos, on their members with obesity, pre-diabetes or hypertension who receive medical nutrition therapy from registered dietitians, (RDs), and compare it to those who have not received such services. By aggregating the data of several RDs, Medicare would have its own database, anticipated to show cost and health savings to their members. Then, under ACA, reimbursement should become permanent. The Academy of Nutrition Services has an Evidenced Based Library of data showing benefits of these services too. Give the registered dietitian, "the nutrition expert" the chance to show that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure".