At the present time, Sumra Harper-Deas is a provider with Green Mountain Care (Vermont’s Medicaid program), Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont, Cigna and MVP Health. A note about Medicare: Sumra is not enrolled with Medicare. If Medicare is your primary insurance and you have a secondary insurance that Sumra does accept, it is possible your secondary insurance may cover the visit, but please schedule a clarity call to discuss with Sumra first. If you have a diabetes or kidney disease diagnosis and are on Medicare, Sumra is unable to see you regardless due to Medicare's rules.

Most insurances cover telehealth services, however, Sumra recommends you ask about your specific plan when contacting your insurance company to verify your nutrition benefits. Please note, telehealth appointments are prioritized at Sumra RD Nutrition for those who experience difficulty getting to in-person visits (e.g., due to distance, accessibility, or schedule). If you have a specific need for telehealth and do not see any available telehealth appointments or an appointment time that works for you, please contact Sumra at 802-222-0992 or sumra@sumraRDnutrition.com.

If you carry insurance that we are considered out-of-network with, you will need to pay for your counseling session at the time of service (at the private pay rate, see Services). Sumra RD Nutrition accepts cash, checks and all major credit cards. Equitable/sliding scale pricing is available. Please email sumra@sumraRDnutrition.com to inquire. We are happy to provide you with a “Superbill” and/or an itemized invoice you can submit to your insurance company for reimbursement. Reimbursement is based on your policy’s standards. Please call your insurance company’s member services number to verify how reimbursement works under your current insurance policy. Please note if you have an insurance which considers Sumra out-of-network, Sumra RD Nutrition cannot submit directly on your behalf – we can only supply you with the appropriate paperwork. Therefore, payment is due at the time for service directly payable to Sumra RD Nutrition, LLC. Sumra does not accept Medicare. If you have a diabetes or kidney disease diagnosis, Sumra is unable to see you even if you were able to private pay, due to Medicare's rules. If you do not have either of these diagnosis, you can access Sumra's services by paying out of pocket or you may be able to utilize a secondary insurance if it's available to you. Please schedule a clarity call to discuss any of the above options with Sumra.

(Please use this more detailed insurance script to take notes. Return completed script to us before your visit.) 1. Does my insurance plan cover outpatient nutrition counseling? If the insurance company asks for a CPT code please provide them with the following codes: 97802 and 97803. NEXT ask them to check your coverage for the following CPT codes: 99404, 99403, 99402, 99401 . 2. Will my diagnosis be covered? If the representative asks for a diagnosis code – please tell them the visit is coded with the ICD 10 code Z71.3. Ask if they accept Z71.3, and whether this code falls under preventative benefits, or medical benefits. If they don’t accept Z71.3 then provide them with Z72.4 and see if they will cover that diagnosis instead on your plan. Some diagnoses/conditions may help get your nutrition visit covered by insurance (e.g. pre-diabetes, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, eating disorders, etc.). You can ask your insurance company which of your diagnoses are covered for nutrition counseling. Please contact us if you have questions about this. 3. How many visits do I have per calendar year under preventative benefits? How many visits do I have per calendar year under medical benefits? Your insurance carrier will let you know how many visits they are willing to cover. Depending on the carrier the number of visits vary from 0 to unlimited depending on medical need. 4. Do I have a deductible to meet? If yes, how much? We will submit claims for your visits to your insurance company so that they can go toward your deductible. This will allow you to “pay down” your deductible. You will then have to pay us directly for the services rendered until your deductible has been met. Once your deductible has been met and if you have nutrition services on your policy, we can then directly bill and get reimbursed by your insurance company. 5. Do I need a physician referral? If you need a physician referral, be sure to complete it at least 1 week before your first nutrition visit. Please provide your physician with this referral form. Please note that VT Medicaid always requires a referral. 6. Do I have a co-pay for nutritional counseling? For most insurance companies registered dietitians are considered a specialist. Therefore, your specialist co-pay is applicable and is payable at the time of service. This information is often apparent on the front of your insurance card. However, because we often bill your insurance with preventative counseling codes the co-pay may not be applicable, depending on your individual plan.