What is the new CMS rule on therapeutic diet orders?
The Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced a proposed rule change that, among other things, would allow privileged registered dietitians (RDs) to independently:
- Order patient diets without requiring the supervision or approval of a physician or other practitioner; and
- Order lab tests to monitor the effectiveness of dietary plans and orders.
The proposed rule would apply only to RDs who are part of the medical staff or granted privileges by the hospital in which they work (i.e. “privileged registered dietitians”).
The change would not take effect until the rule is finalized by CMS later this year. To learn more about how rules are finalized please check out the Rules and Regulations section of the Academy website (members must sign in before viewing this page).
To read the answers to frequently asked questions about the proposed rule, please click here.
Listen to Webinar on Therapeutic Diet Rule
What is the Academy doing in response to the proposed rule?
Academy members and staff have been working to effectuate this proposed rule for over two years.
The Academy has a three-pronged approach to help finalize this rule. First, the Academy has submitting formal comments to CMS on behalf of our members. We worked closely with DPGs, affiliates and members of the CMS Workgroup to draft our comments in support of the proposed rule. Second, will continue to meet with CMS officials to provide guidance and address the need for clarification of several provisions of the proposed rule. Third, we gathered support for the proposed rule from other practitioners and our partner organizations by having them sign on to a letter of support.
We are excited about this opportunity to not only save the nation hundreds of millions of dollars annually, but also to ensure RDs are able to improve patients’ health by providing the best nutrition care possible.