The UM Center for Weight Management & Wellness

Surgical Weight Loss

Medically Supervised Diet Documentation — Six-Month Requirement

The idea of gastric bypass surgery can be very exciting, but gaining insurance approval for the surgery means being able to prove having had six months of medical nutrition therapy. In October 2006, the Maryland state law mandated that everyone submitting for possible insurance approval must be able to document six individual monthly notes from a physician or registered dietitian that such therapy took place.

Some insurance companies — it is up to the specific employer plan — will also accept Weight Watchers documentation. Each insurance carrier has different requirements in terms of the amount of time allowable (usually between 2 to 5 years) between when a patient last had medical nutrition therapy prior to approval for gastric bypass surgery. You should contact your benefits manager to obtain a hard copy of the specific details of your insurance policy.

The Center for Weight Management and Wellness provides complimentary six months of nutrition care for our patients. Patients require one visit a month consecutively. We do this because most of our patients have been pursuing weight loss for many years yet will not have the documentation necessary for insurance approval. Nutrition sessions are part of a patient’s regular Center appointments. Appointments are available mornings and evenings in Millersville MD and our downtown Baltimore office.

Millersville, MD: Mondays between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., one Friday a month 9 a.m - 4.pm.
Downtown, Baltimore: Wednesdays between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Baltimore Washington Medical Center: one evening group session a month

Our medical nutrition therapy focuses on preparation for the many habit changes needed for a successful gastric bypass lifestyle. Sessions topics may include how to achieve weight loss in order to be safe for surgery as well as extensive information about gastric bypass lifestyle, including diet adjustments after surgery, low- sugar shopping, and use of supplements for addressing protein and vitamin deficiencies, shopping for safe food and drinks, and accurate label reading. Patients whose surgeons are not part of our Center can -- for a fee -- have medical nutrition therapy consults with Mary Beth Sodus RD/LD.

It is important to note that while medically supervised diets can be any type of diet that a patient has undertaken with a physician or dietitian, the insurance companies do look for specific details in terms of how the diet is documented. Whether your diet takes place at our Center or elsewhere, each individual monthly note must contain the following seven items:

Patient name
Date
Weight, weight change
Current diet
Education (what the patient learned in that particular monthly session)
Compliance, Comprehension, Adherence (a statement about how well the patient is meeting nutrition therapy goals)
Recommendations (what the patient needs to do)

For more information on the University of Maryland Weight Management Program call 410-328-8940

This page was last updated on: April 18, 2008.

If you would like to make an appointment or talk to someone about our services, please call 1-877-866-7348 (patients) or 1-800-373-4111 or 410-328-8940 (physicians).