S. 3934 — Medical Nutrition Therapy Act of 2026

This section states congressional findings on chronic conditions among Medicare beneficiaries, including that over two-thirds of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries have two or more chronic conditions that can often be prevented, delayed, treated, or managed through nutrition; that individuals from many racial and ethnic minority backgrounds are more likely to be diagnosed with chronic diseases such as diabetes, prediabetes, chronic kidney disease, end-stage renal disease, and obesity; that Medicare Part B covers medical nutrition therapy only for beneficiaries with diabetes or renal disease despite its role as a standard of care for many more conditions; and that medical nutrition therapy is a cost-effective treatment component for obesity, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, HIV infection, unintended weight loss in older adults, and other chronic conditions.

This section expands Medicare Part B coverage of medical nutrition therapy (MNT) services—nutritional assessment, diagnosis, intervention, and monitoring provided by registered dietitians or nutrition professionals—by (1) broadening covered diseases and conditions from diabetes and renal disease to diabetes, prediabetes, renal disease, obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, malnutrition, eating disorders, cancer, gastrointestinal diseases (including celiac disease), HIV, AIDS, cardiovascular disease, and other Secretary-specified diseases or conditions related to unintentional weight loss or deemed medically necessary; (2) authorizing referrals by a physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, or—for eating disorders—a clinical psychologist (previously, physician only); and (3) excluding coverage of such services for renal disease if the beneficiary is receiving maintenance dialysis for which payment is made under Medicare. This section further limits Medicare exclusions under section 1862(a)(1) to MNT services not furnished for the newly specified diseases or conditions. The amendments apply to services furnished beginning 2 years after enactment.