1. Home
  2. Payment
  3. Who Pays for Nutrition Services?
  4. My Healthy Weight Initiative

My Healthy Weight Initiative

The My Healthy Weight Initiative is the first ever collective initiative by private and public payers and employers to offer a standard benefits and coverage for obesity prevention and treatment services for individuals of all ages.

On this page:

My Healthy Weight Initiative Background

In November 2017, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation and the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) developed this public-private initiative with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The goal of the initiative is to provide millions of individuals nationally with consistent coverage to support healthy weight change. Learn more about the initiative's history by visiting the My Healthy Weight about page.

My Healthy Weight builds on the foundation of the former Healthier Generation Benefit.

My Healthy Weight Pledge

Public and private payers and employers pledge to offer the following standard benefits package with the same coverage for obesity and prevention and treatment services for individuals of all ages:

Intensive behavioral interventions every plan year for plan members with a qualifying diagnosis:

  1. At least 12 visits for adults with a BMI ≥ 30
  2. At least 6 contact hours for adults with a BMI ≥ 25 and one or more risk factors for cardiovascular disease
  3. At least 12 visits for children ages 3 years or older with a BMI ≥ 95th percentile
  4. At least 8 visits for children ages 3 years or older with a BMI 85th-95th percentile

Organization who have taken the pledge will implement and/or cover one or more community-based program(s) for adults and/or children:

  1. Adult-focused programs: Qualifying programs should have a previously demonstrated ability to achieve at least a 5% weight loss in adult participants
  2. Child-focused programs: Qualifying programs should have a previously demonstrated ability to achieve a BMI percentile decrease in child participants

Organizations Who Have Taken the Pledge

  • State of Alaska Department of Health and Social Services
  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City
  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina
  • Blue Shield of California
  • Capital District Physicians' Health Plan
  • Connecticut Department of Social Services
  • Delaware Division of Medicaid and Medical Assistance
  • Nestlé
  • Novo Nordisk, Inc.
  • South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
  • Texas Health Aetna

Members of My Healthy Weight have also committed to a variety of activities that will support the utilization of the newly covered benefits and, where applicable, move their organization towards value-based payments for obesity. For more information on value based payments view the Changes in Health Care Delivery and Payment page.

Key Points for RDNs

The Academy encourages RDNs to participate in the My Healthy Weight initiative by providing services, advocating for use of RDNs, and recruiting insurers and employers in their community to take the My Healthy Weight Pledge.

The My Healthy Weight Pledge does not guarantee credentialing and coverage of services by RDNs. Many of the members do include RDNs in their provider networks and recognize direct billing by RDNs. Contact each payer/employer for guidance on credentialing, coding and billing for services.

For those who do not recognize RDNs as service providers, you need to advocate for your value. Here are some steps you can take to get started:

  • Contact your affiliate Reimbursement Representative, if your state is currently represented on the list of Members, to join existing advocacy efforts. You can find your Reimbursement Representative in the Leadership Directory under "Affiliates."
  • Utilize Academy resources to advocate for your role as an RDN in the prevention and treatment of obesity.

Weight Management Resources

The Academy's Weight Management Resources page contains materials available to help registered dietitian nutritionists provide comprehensive and coordinated weight management care for patients and families.

Topics