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Nutrition Procedures Information at PS Contouring, McLean, VA

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What makes PS Contouring different from other nutrition programs?

PS Contouring is owned and operated by a Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist (RDN) – a registered medical professional. In addition to offering a traditional office-based outpatient nutrition counseling practice, PS Contouring is also able to provide telehealth via our tele-nutrition platform.

Many people may market themselves as “nutritionists,” but this term is not legally regulated and therefore can be used by anyone regardless of legitimate qualifications or expertise. Only a Registered Dietitian is recognized as a legitimate nutrition expert and qualified to provide medical nutrition therapy. Please read 10 Reasons to Visit an RDN on the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetic Association (AND) website for a more comprehensive understanding of the efficacy, understanding and application of an RDN.

 

What is Medical Nutrition Therapy?

Medical nutrition therapy (MNT) is the development and provision of a nutritional treatment or therapy based on a detailed assessment of a person’s medical history, psychosocial history, physical examination, and dietary history. It is used to treat an illness or condition, or as a means to prevent or delay disease or complications from diseases (such as diabetes).

MNT is provided by a Registered Dietitian, the health care professional with the most nutrition training.


How would phone or telehealth (internet) consults be of use to me?

PS Contouring’s phone and internet meeting alternatives are for people all over the nation. This is a convenient and progressive option to meeting with a Registered Dietitian. An individualized nutrition plan is created for each patient according to a nutrition questionnaire. What better way to learn about nutrition than just talking about it with an expert? Perhaps you want to:

  1. Establish a lifestyle that helps prevent development of chronic disease.

  2. Reduce the number of medications currently in use.

  3. Reduce the likelihood of needing certain medical procedures.

  4. Improve quality of life despite an existing chronic disease

  5. Prevent disease-related co-morbidities (such as diabetes complications).

  6. Establish a healthy body composition and improve stamina and agility.

 

PS Contouring’s services are most appropriate for people who have made a decision to be committed to lifestyle change conducive to good health. While a Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist provides you with the tools you need to create a healthy lifestyle, the decision and commitment to use those tools is your own. 


Does Nutrition Authority provide meal plans and menus?

Though some dietitians may choose to provide these things in addition to traditional services, this is not the intended purpose for consulting with a Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist. An RDN is educated in the field of nutrition science – how food is metabolized in the body and the effect of those processes on health, be it disease prevention or management of an illness. Therefore, your personal nutritionist at Nutrition Authority will provide you with a thorough education about your food and lifestyle choices and how and why they impact your state of wellness. While meal plans are temporary tools, knowledge relevant to your particular lifestyle is permanent and enables you to make educated decisions for a lifetime!


Will my insurance pay for my nutrition consult?

GREAT NEWS! PS Contouring will soon be accepting most insurance companies. Insurance coverage varies with each company and every individual plan. While some provide 100% coverage others deny based on the patient not yet having the annual deductible met or it could be denied for not having a qualifying diagnosis. Regardless, many insurance companies do not require a referral from an MD or a qualifying diagnosis. Maybe your insurance company is one of these?

Insurance coverage varies a lot. However, to increase the likelihood of insurance covering the face-to-face consult, it is optimal to have a referral from an MD and a qualifying diagnosis. Also, check your employee benefits plan at work. Some plans cover up to $500 for counseling by a Registered Dietitian per year. Most health Savings Accounts (i.e. flex spending plans) allow you to pay for Registered Dietitian services with these funds.

In those rare times that insurance does not cover for MNT be sure to ask, why not? Diet and nutrition are key factors in disease prevention!


Why would someone pay for medical care not covered by insurance?

Making a decision to seek medical care based solely on the limits of what your insurance will cover or reimburse is not always in the best interest of your health. You have to remember that insurance companies make decisions based on business priorities, whereas your priority should be your state of wellness. Taking personal responsibility for your health guarantees you a certain quality of life, and investing in caring for your health ultimately saves you money that would otherwise be spent on the high costs associated with sick care when your condition becomes extreme (e.g. co-pays for appointments, co-pays for medications, co-pays for medical procedures, co-pays for hospitalizations, and higher insurance premiums or inability to qualify for coverage).


What if you don’t have health insurance or your health insurance company does not cover nutrition consults?

You can pay for these services by using your debit banking account, a personal, FSA, or HSA credit card!

PS Contouring accepts all major credit cards. Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover. PS Contouring also accepts PayPal payments and Care Credit. Care Credit allows you pay for services over time and is accepted at over 11 million locations including Walmart, CVS and Petco just to name a few places. Over 42,000 websites use PayPal because it is a safe method to use your credit card over the internet. Once you sign-up with PayPal, which is free.


What is PS Contouring’s payment policy?

For both tele-nutrition and in-person consults, insurance will be billed. Nutrition Authority will process the claim for you via a private billing service. When/If payment is denied then the patient is liable for the full balance due within 30 days. Balances exceeding 90 days are sent to a collection agency. Payment plans are welcomed. Credit cards are accepted.

For cash, check or credit card paying clients, all payments must be paid in advance, prior to the reserved appointment time(s). This payment can be collected from our patient care coordinator when booking consult(s). Paying in advance protects Nutrition Authority from ‘no-shows’ and helps promote client commitment to the nutrition counseling sessions on the patients behalf. In addition, the RDNs at Nutrition Authority do not get paid if the patient does not show up for the scheduled appointment. Additionally, PS Contouring typically has a 2-3 week waiting list for patient booking. When an appointment time is not honored it negatively affects those patients whom are waiting and would have benefited from the time with the RDN.

Advanced notice of no less than 24 hours from the scheduled time of your appointment is required for all cancellations; by giving advanced notice, Nutrition Authority is able to offer your appointment slot to other clients who are waiting for services. Clients who do not cancel appointments more than 24 hours in advance of the scheduled time will be charged $75.00 inadequate cancellation notice fee and patients who ‘no-show’ for a scheduled appointment are assessed a $75.00 no-show fee.


Do you do public speaking for corporations and organizations?

Yes! PS Contouring offers a wide variety of nutrition-related themes for “Brown Bag Lunch Topics.”

Corporations such as Boeing, The FAA, REI, Paccar Bellevue, Continental Mills, Nordstrom, Renton City Hall, KING 5’s Healthy Living Expo, Sound Family Medicine public events, ‘My Gym’ of Kent Covington, Costco, Starbucks, Safeway, Pierce County School District, City of Tacoma (police, water and administration), IKEA and numerous medical professional associations/organizations have utilized Nutrition Authority’s team of nutrition experts as presenters for their employee wellness programs or member gatherings.

All seminars and lectures are tailored to meet your company’s specific needs. Simply request a list of all the available lecture topics from PS Contouring.

 

*Individual results are not guaranteed and may vary from person to person. Images may contain models.

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