New Client Application

STEP 1

Review the Q & A’s

STEP 2

Complete the new client application form.

STEP 3

You’ll hear from a team member shortly! Keep an eye on your email for additional support and information.

Reminder: if you have Health Net and have not checked your benefits, do this ASAP!

Step One

Common Questions & Answers

Please read prior to completing the new client application.

How do you handle meal planning?

Our meal plans are developed through a collaborative process and the type of plan/planning we create will depend on your individual needs and why you’re seeing us.
Some people need a lot of structure and we have ways of providing that. Others don’t need plans at all! We pay close attention to ensure that any level of planning we’re doing is supportive and we’ll check in with you often.
As we set the plan into motion, and are supporting you with it in our follow up visits, this often gives us great insight into next steps, any barriers you might be facing, etc…
Meal plans are not given with the expectation of “compliance.” In fact we don’t use that word in this practice. We understand many factors impact planning, using a plan, your experience with food, etc… They’re “living documents” that will shift and change as we work together and we will never shame you or be “mad” at you for not using a plan.
There is also a difference between meal plans and meal planning. We work on the meal planning, grocery shopping and food prep process with all clients – meaning the basics of keeping a grocery list, selecting basic recipes, grocery shopping, making basic plans for what will be made that week, etc…
If a meal plan is highly triggering/unhelpful to you we have many other ways to support you with getting your nutritional needs met.

What is a nutrition follow up session like?

A follow up session is typically about 30-60 minutes long.
Sessions are highly individualized but some examples of what to expect might be…
- Exploring thoughts and judgments around food, amounts of food, food experiences and working on challenging or reframing them.
- Exploring how mood may be impacting intake – for example how anxiety may impact your appetite or how you experience food OR vice versa – how foods may be eliciting anxiety. When you’re ready, we have different ways to help you understand and reduce your anxiety around food.
- Exploring appetite awareness and what your experience is in your thoughts or emotions when you notice hunger or fullness. This is different than eating in response to hunger and fullness which is definitely something we work on with many clients but often we have to do lots of other exploratory work before that.
- Supporting you with things like forming a grocery list, planning meals for the week, fitting food prep into your day.
- We may also ask if you’d like to keep a food journal (unless that’s not supportive for you, which is common). This is to learn about your experiences with food more than writing down every detail of your intake. You may notice us asking you to check in with what is happening in your thoughts, emotions and physical body (when safe) to explore your full food experience. While we don’t provide therapy, we will ask about emotions to give us information and context to your eating experiences.
- Some approaches you may have heard of that we use are mindfulness and intuitive eating. Of course, these are tailored to your needs and we use many other techniques and modalities too.

How long should I anticipate working with a RD at Nutrition Instincts?

Frequency and length of time is highly variable based on why you’re seeking care and where you’re at on your nutrition and healing journey. This will ultimately be determined between you and your provider after your initial assessment (and will be re-evaluated as your work continues). If you’re coming to us for an eating disorder anticipate a need for weekly visits for at least 4-6 months. It’s common to continue to need weekly care well beyond that timeframe although sometimes people can step down to less frequent visits sooner.

For those seeking care for other needs such as diabetes, intuitive eating, pregnancy/postpartum, or child feeding, we may recommend meeting twice a month for 3-6 months (again, sometimes longer and sometimes shorter). Although, meeting weekly for first month can be advantageous as it allows you to get the process moving forward more quickly.

What are your rates?

Our initial 1-hour assessment is $250. This is includes connections we will make with any members of your care team.

Our follow up appointments are $165/50 min appointment and $90 for 30 min appointments. In most cases, we recommend starting with 50 min appointments weekly or every other week but this may change based on individual needs and circumstances. Please note, Lindsay sees clients on a limited basis and has a rate of $225 per session.

We do offer a limited number of discounted spots for those in need.

Do you take insurance?

We take Health Net insurance. If you have Health Net, head to the next section on this page to learn more about getting your visits covered.

We offer a superbill for all other plans (except medicare). It is generated through our system and you’ll receive a notification each month when it’s ready in your patient portal. If you have out of network nutrition benefits you can submit the superbill to your claims department in hopes of getting reimbursed. If you’d like, we can take care of the claims submission process and bill your plan directly for out-of-network services. This isn’t a guarantee of reimbursement (that’s determined by your insurance plan/company) but it will ensure the company gets everything they need on an official claim form they’re used to processing. Reimbursement will be sent to you directly. The cost of our “out-of-network billing service” is $35/month.

How long will I have to wait for my initial assessment?

In most cases, we’re able to schedule you within 5-7 business days of your request to schedule. If you have a Health Net HMO plan we will need your medical group to approve prior authorization prior to scheduling.

We’re currently adding more Q&A’s to this section. For now, you can find additional q and a’s and insurance information.

Checking Insurance Benefits

We are in-network with Health Net. Please read the following instructions carefully. Depending on your plan and benefits we might be able to schedule you right away or you might need to obtain prior authorization. You may move forward with the application below at anytime. We have support for you if you feel stuck!

If you have a Health Net HMO Plan, follow these steps...

Step 1: If you have not checked your nutrition benefits, here are instructions on how to do that: Insurance Benefits Check Form/Script

Please remember to take good notes on the call and record the reference number. Please send that info to info@nutritioninstincts.com when it’s collected. Please note that you are responsible for any amount of your visit that is not covered by your insurance (copay, coinsurance or if they deny coverage completely). Seeing a dietitian who is in-network doesn’t always mean that your plan will cover your visits.

Step 2: Just like any other specialist in your HMO network, you will likely need prior authorization in order to see one of our providers. Please contact your PCP right away and request a prior authorization be sent to your medical group to work with a dietitian at Nutrition Instincts. If you aren’t in the San Diego area, your medical group might not grant approval. It doesn’t hurt to ask though! Especially if there aren’t any dietitians in their local network/group that specialize in what you need care for. They may also be able to connect you with specialists local to you.

– Here is a link for referring providers that will also help them complete the prior authorization form that they will be submitting: https://www.nutritioninstincts.com/refer

Step 3: We are often notified via fax when your prior authorization is approved but sometimes members hear first. If you receive notice in your online medical portal or via mail please let us know as soon as you can so we can get you on the schedule!

Step 4: Don’t hesitate to submit your application below. While it is your responsibility to check your insurance benefits, we do have staff available to support you with the process if needed.

If you have a Health Net PPO plan, follow these steps...

Step 1: If you have not checked your nutrition benefits, here are instructions on how to do that:Insurance Benefits Check Form/Script

Step 2: The state of CA requires that a referral be kept on file for anyone pursuing medical nutrition therapy. This should be completed by your physician.

Here is a nutrition referral form they can complete and return (it’s ok for them to use their own too). https://www.dropbox.com/s/5egjm1oep12k43r/Referral%20for%20Medical%20Nutrition%20Therapy%20%28MNT%29%202021%20p1.pdf?dl=0

If needed, here is a link for referring providers that will also help them complete the referral form that they will be submitting: https://www.nutritioninstincts.com/refer

Step 3: Don’t hesitate to submit your application below. While it is your responsibility to check your insurance benefits, we do have staff available to support you with the process if needed.

If you’d like like to check your out of network benefits...

We think that’s smart! Especially if you have PPO plan. You can use instructions on this page to check your out of network benefits Insurance Benefits Check Form/Script . We will provide you with a superbill each month that includes your diagnosis, visit codes, session dates and payments. You can submit this to your insurance in hopes of getting reimbursed. This is handled between you and your insurance company.

If you’d like to pursue a single case agreement...

We are open to single case agreements when your insurance company and/or medical group are able to provide a detailed agreement, fees and a path for submitting claims. You can initiate this process by calling your insurance company or medical group to check benefits and inquire about a single case agreement. If you are looking for care for an eating disorder or feeding disorder (like ARFID) you might be able to make the case that there are no other providers with the eating disorder or feeding disorder specialty in your network. If the company is open to an agreement, please provide us with the front/back of your insurance card, details of your call, a reference number for the call and a number to contact them. Send this information to info@nutritioninstincts.com. Our Care Coordinator will follow up with you and the company to get further details and we will determine if we can agree to the terms.

Please note: Effective Sept 1, 2022, all single case agreements will require a monthly administrative fee of $75 a month. Single case agreements usually require many hours of administrative work to submit claims manually, request additional units, providing documentation to advocate for ongoing coverage, answer questions from the insurance company or medical group and navigate claims processing errors.

My medical group or insurance company is telling me I can see a clinic RD but they can‘t fit me in or don’t have someone who specializes in what I need....

In the San Diego area it is common for insurance companies and medical groups to point to hospital based nutrition clinics for in-network nutrition care. Unfortunately, these clinics often do not have RDs who specialize in eating disorders and feeding disorders or they are unable to accommodate a frequency of care that is ethical and effective. If you feel you’re being denied coverage for out of network providers but are not getting your needs met by in-network providers you may be able to advocate for your plan to extend coverage to a specialist in your area. Here are your options…

Ask your PCP/pediatrician to advocate for you or your child to see specialists and make it clear to the insurance company or medical group that there are no reasonable options for you in-network
If your request for a single case agreement/prior authorization is denied and you’re redirected to a RD or clinic who does not have the capacity to meet your needs you can appeal this decision with the insurance company. If you’re at this stage and would like to become part of a larger effort to fill coverage gaps like this please email us at info@nutritioninstincts.com. With permission, we provide lists of individuals who have not had access to care when we advocate for single case agreements or to be approved as in-network with plans.
If you have a plan through your employer, you may be able to have your HR department engage with the insurance company to advocate for coverage. Plans do not want to lose the business of large employers so your company may have more power to advocate for you!
If the above fails, submit a report to state the insurance commissioner. http://www.insurance.ca.gov/

Step Two