Medicare to Cover Eating Disorder Nutrition Therapy Starting 2026, Addressing Critical Treatment Gap

The new Nutrition CARE Act of 2025 is trying to fix a serious gap in our healthcare system, specifically for people struggling with eating disorders. Starting January 1, 2026, Medicare will finally cover medical nutrition therapy (MNT) services for beneficiaries diagnosed with an eating disorder. Think of this as Medicare catching up to reality, acknowledging that nutrition counseling is a non-negotiable part of recovery, much like it already does for diabetes.

The High Cost of Doing Nothing

Congress didn't just pull this idea out of a hat; the bill lays out some pretty grim facts. Eating disorders affect nearly 29 million Americans at some point, and they have one of the highest mortality rates of any mental illness—causing about 10,200 deaths yearly. The financial burden is staggering, too, costing the U.S. economy $64.7 billion annually. The core issue, as the bill points out, is that successful treatment needs four parts: medical, psychiatric, therapy, and medical nutrition therapy. Currently, Medicare covers some of the first three but leaves MNT completely out of the picture for outpatient care.

What the Coverage Looks Like

Under Section 3, Medicare is updating its rules to include MNT services for eating disorders. This is a game-changer for older adults, who are often more vulnerable to severe complications like heart or metabolic issues when dealing with these disorders. If you're on Medicare and need this care, you'll need a referral from a doctor or a psychologist. The services themselves must be provided by a registered dietitian or another qualified nutrition professional.

The Fine Print on Hours

This is where the details matter. The bill sets specific limits on covered hours. For the first year of treatment, Medicare will cover 13 hours of MNT. After that initial period, you are covered for 4 hours during each subsequent one-year period. While getting 13 hours of specialized care is a huge step up from zero, the reality of eating disorder recovery is that it’s often a long-haul process. The Secretary of Health and Human Services does have the authority to set “other reasonable limits” on those subsequent 4 hours, which introduces a bit of ambiguity. This flexibility could be good if more hours are needed, but it could also be used to narrowly restrict ongoing access, so that’s a detail worth watching as the rule-making process unfolds.

Real-World Impact

For a senior citizen whose eating disorder is compounding existing health issues like osteoporosis or heart problems, this new coverage is literally life-saving. Before, they might have had to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars out-of-pocket for this essential nutritional support, or simply go without. Now, they can access specialized care that addresses the nutritional deficiencies and dangerous behaviors tied to the disorder. This bill cuts the administrative red tape that previously blocked access to a crucial part of recovery, ensuring that the necessary team—including the dietitian—can work together seamlessly under Medicare coverage to manage this complex, life-threatening illness.