+ I do not live in Seattle. Can I still work with you?

Yes! I am currently accepting insurance-based and cash-paying clients living in Washington State. Medical Nutrition Therapy licensure laws vary from state to state, so I am able to provide nutrition counseling services to cash-paying clients living in Arizona, California, Colorado, Michigan, and Virginia as these states do not have any licensure/certification laws in place for Medical Nutrition Therapy.

For all other services outside of nutrition counseling (nutrition coaching, meal planning, content creation, etc), I am able to work with anyone regardless of what state or country you live in!

All my services (besides grocery store tours and local area presentations) are only offered virtually via a secure telehealth platform.

+ What can I expect if I schedule a free call with you?

This is a chance for us to get to know each other over a 20-minute video chat over a HIPAA-compliant Zoom meeting or a 20-minute phone call. I will ask you questions about what your health goals are and what you feel are barriers to achieving those health goals. You can ask me any questions you need to determine if I am a good fit for what you are looking for. I will also explain what you can expect if you decide to sign up to work with me. This is a no strings attached meeting - there is no expectation to sign up for any services during this call. You will receive an email with a Zoom meeting link 24 hours prior to your scheduled call if you choose the video chat option.

+ What can I expect if I sign up for an initial nutrition session?

Once you schedule an appointment for an initial nutrition session, within 2-3 business days you will receive an email with a link to the HIPAA-compliant platform where you will need to complete all of the necessary forms and waivers. Please note that these forms and waivers need to be completed 24 hours prior to your scheduled session. Your session will be rescheduled if this is not completed. You will also receive a Zoom link via email for the video call (if this option is chosen) 24 hours before your session.

The initial nutrition session is a time for me to get to know you better to help me develop a nutrition plan that works best for you. You will walk away from this session with 1-3 personalized and actionable recommendations you can immediately begin implementing in your life.

+ Do I really need follow-up sessions?

While the decision to schedule follow-up sessions is ultimately yours, I strongly recommend that you do. Effective and sustainable behavior change takes time and requires monitoring and evaluation of goals at frequent intervals. This cannot be accomplished by the end of a 1-hour session. I have found that it takes most clients between 3 to 6 follow-up sessions scheduled 3 to 4 weeks apart to successfully grasp the knowledge and skills necessary to set themselves up for long-term success. We can chat more about this during our initial nutrition session.

+ How do I schedule an appointment?

You can schedule an appointment here. A credit/debit card is required on file to schedule all appointments (except the free call).

+ Will you work with my other healthcare providers to coordinate my care?

Yes! I believe that a multi-disciplinary approach to healthcare is important to allow for the best possible patient/client care. If this is something you want, I can communicate with your PCP and/or providers regarding your nutrition status and plan of care. A Release of Information (ROI) waiver must be signed before I can do this.

+ Do you accept health insurance?

Yes! Brown Sugar Nutrition, PLLC is contracted with the following insurance companies in WA State:

• Regence BlueShield
• Premera BlueCross
• LifeWise
• First Choice Health

While these health insurance plans cover outpatient nutrition counseling services, specific benefits covered vary between insurance policies. It is your responsibility to call and verify coverage prior to your first appointment. The next FAQ question will provide you with a script for calling your insurance company.

If you live in WA state, and if I am in network with your health insurance policy that covers nutrition counseling, I am contractually obligated to bill your insurance for the session, unless you sign a waiver stating you prefer to pay out-of-pocket instead.

+ What questions should I ask when calling my insurance company?

Call the member services number on the back of your insurance card and ask the following questions. Make sure to write down the date and reference number for your call. Doing this will help you get the most out of your benefits and avoid surprise bills. Click here to download this phone script.

• Does my plan cover nutrition counseling? Specifically CPT codes 97802 and 97803. If they say you do not have coverage using these codes, ask about CPT codes 99401, 99402, 99403 and 99404.
• Is the diagnosis code Z71.3 covered? Is it covered as a preventative code? If Z71.3 is not covered, ask if Z72.4 is covered.
• If you are overweight, have obesity, pre-diabetes, diabetes, hypertension or high cholesterol, ask if any of these diagnoses are covered.
• How many visits do I have per calendar year? Is there a lifetime maximum?
• Do I have a deductible to meet before insurance pays? How much have I met this year? Note if you have not met your deductible, I will not be able to bill your insurance company directly until the deductible has been met.
• Do I have a co-pay for nutritional counseling? How much? I typically bill your insurance with preventative counseling, so the co-pay amount is often not applicable. I generally wait for the claim to be processed to determine whether or not you have a co-pay. If there is a co-pay, I will email/mail you an invoice for payment. If not paid within 2 weeks of the invoice date, your credit card on file will be charged.
• Do I need a PCP referral for nutrition counseling to be covered? If the answer is yes, I will provide you with a referral form for your PCP or fax your PCP a referral form. Your PCP will need to complete it and either give it to you or fax back to me. It is your responsibility to ensure that I have your PCP referral form prior to our appointment. If not, the appointment will be rescheduled until I receive this.
• Is nutrition counseling covered when provided via telehealth?
• Is Brown Sugar Nutrition, PLLC in-network? If asked, NPI 1891319513. If not, what are my out-of-network benefits?

+ What if you are not in-network with my insurance provider?

You will be responsible for covering the cost of the session out-of-pocket at the time of the visit. Your health insurance company may still cover these sessions. I can provide a superbill on request to submit to your insurance company for possible reimbursement. Superbills need to be requested within 2 weeks after your session.

+ I do not have health insurance. Can I still work with you?

Yes, of course! I accept credit/debit cards and HSA/FSA accounts via Stripe, a secure online payment processing platform. Payment will be due at the end of each session.

+ Do you offer options for sliding scale fees?

Yes! I believe that good healthcare is affordable healthcare. As such, I offer a limited number of spots each month for out-of-pocket payments on a sliding scale basis for those who have no health insurance or qualify for Medicare or Medicaid. Please contact me for more details.

I am not in network with Medicare or Medicaid at this time and will not be able to bill these networks.

+ What is your cancellation policy?

I require minimum 24 hours notice for any cancellations or rescheduling of appointments. Any appointments cancelled within less than 24 hours will be charged a $50 fee. Any no-shows will be charged for the full price of the appointment. You will receive an invoice via email/mail requesting payment. If payment is not received within 2 weeks of the invoice date, the credit card you added on file when scheduling your appointment will be charged. If you arrive late, your session will be shortened to end at the originally scheduled time.

+ I’m interested in working with you, but I don’t see exactly what I want on your list of services offered. What should I do?

Please send me a message with more details on what you are looking for through the contact me page, or schedule a free call to chat more!

+ What is the difference between nutrition counseling and nutrition coaching?

There is no universally accepted definition for nutrition counseling vs nutrition coaching and no laws to determine who can and cannot call themselves a nutritionist and provide nutrition advice. However there are laws in place to prevent those not qualified from calling themselves a Registered Dietitian and provide medical nutrition therapy - individualized nutrition counseling for disease prevention and treatment.

Registered Dietitians complete an accredited undergraduate degree (in 2024 this will change to a master’s degree requirement), complete 1200 hours of supervised nutrition practice, and sit for a board-certified national exam to earn their RD credential. RDs also need to have 75 hours of continuing education every 5 years to maintain their credential.

The training RDs complete put them in a great position to provide nutrition coaching services as well. Nutrition coaching helps people who do not have any known medical conditions learn more about healthy eating practices, manage weight, and facilitate lifestyle changes.

Anyone can call themselves a nutrition coach as this title is not regulated. Working with an unqualified nutrition coach can be harmful as they may not be properly trained to identify risk of disease and make proper referrals to healthcare providers as appropriate. There are a variety of certifications and courses, mostly offered online, for nutritionists and nutrition coaches, and many of these are not accredited by any healthcare boards or commissions.