A friendly guide to understanding your benefits
Insurance 101
Navigating health insurance can be confusing. We’ve created this page to help you understand common insurance terms, explain how Nourished with Kindness works with insurance, and provide answers to questions many clients have asked us.
We strive to make care accessible and transparent, and we aim to let you know up front what your coverage looks like so you can make an informed decision about your care.
We strive to make care accessible and transparent, and we aim to let you know up front what your coverage looks like so you can make an informed decision about your care.
Common Insurance Terms
Claim
A claim is a request sent to your insurance company for payment after you receive care. It includes details about the service provided and is used by your insurance to determine coverage and payment. At Nourished with Kindness, we submit claims on your behalf so you don’t have to navigate this process on your own.
Premium
This is the amount you pay (usually monthly) to keep your health insurance active. Think of it as the cost of having insurance — not the cost of services themselves.
Deductible
This is the amount you must pay out-of-pocket for covered services before your insurance begins to contribute. For example, if your deductible is $1,500, you typically pay the first $1,500 of covered care each plan year before insurance starts paying.
Copay (Copayment)
A set dollar amount you pay for a service once insurance starts sharing costs. Example: You might have a $30 copay for a nutrition session.
Coinsurance
A percentage of the cost you pay after your deductible has been met. Example: If your plan has 20% coinsurance for a session that costs $180, you pay $36 and insurance pays the rest.
Out-of-Pocket Maximum
The most you’ll pay in a plan year for covered services. Once you reach this limit, your insurance typically pays 100% of covered care for the rest of the year.
In-Network vs. Out-of-Network (PPO vs. HMO)
In-network means a provider (like us) has a contract with your insurance plan — usually resulting in lower costs to you.
Out-of-network indicates a provider does not have a contract with your insurance plan, which often means higher costs to you.
Explanation of Benefits (EOB)
A statement from your insurance explaining how a claim was processed — what was covered, what you owe, and why. (This is not a bill).
Referral
A referral is approval or a recommendation from another healthcare provider (such as a primary care physician or therapist) for you to receive care from a specialist, like a Registered Dietitian. Since licensure for Registered Dietitians varies by state, we are required to have a referral on file for all clients so that we can provide medical nutrition therapy. Ideally the referral would come from your primary care physician or psychiatrist. If your insurance plan requires certain diagnoses for coverage for our services, we will let you know in advance so you can ask your referring provider to include the covered diagnosis you qualify for. Your provider can complete this online form or send this PDF via email to hello@nourishedwithkindness.com or fax to 805-930-0101.
Insurance at Nourished with Kindness — How It Works
✨ We verify benefits for you, if indicated.
Before your first session, we provide insight regarding your insurance coverage:
✨ We submit claims on your behalf.
You won’t need to send claims yourself — we handle that for you.
✨ We serve clients in multiple states.
We provide in-person and telehealth services in California, Oregon, and Montana. We also offer telehealth services in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Florida*, Idaho*, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington*, and Wisconsin. (*Available with select clinicians)
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did I get a bill from Nourished with Kindness even though I have insurance?
Bills happen for different reasons:
What’s the difference between an EOB and a bill?
Your EOB tells you how insurance processed a claim. Your bill is a request for payment from us after insurance processes the claim.
What if insurance denies a claim?
Insurance denials can feel frustrating but are common. Sometimes NWK may be able to request reprocessing directly from the insurance company, but sometimes we need help from the client to advocate that the services be covered. In many cases, you can request a reconsideration or file an appeal. We can support you with documentation, but appeals are typically managed by the client and/or policyholder.
Is nutrition counseling for eating disorders covered by insurance?
Many PPO plans do cover nutrition counseling. NWK bills your insurance plan using either an eating disorder diagnosis code or a preventive nutrition code when appropriate — based on your clinical needs and the diagnoses we have referrals for.
Helpful Tips When You Call Insurance
We’re Here to Support You
Insurance can be really confusing — and it shouldn’t be a barrier to care. We’re committed to transparency and helping you understand your benefits in a way that feels empowering, not overwhelming.
If you have questions about your coverage, our team is happy to help — just reach out.
Legal-Safe Disclaimers
This information is for general educational purposes and does not guarantee coverage from your insurance plan. Insurance benefits vary widely based on your plan, employer group, and policy terms. Verification of benefits is not a guarantee of payment by your insurance. You are ultimately responsible for any charges not covered by your insurance company.
Claim
A claim is a request sent to your insurance company for payment after you receive care. It includes details about the service provided and is used by your insurance to determine coverage and payment. At Nourished with Kindness, we submit claims on your behalf so you don’t have to navigate this process on your own.
Premium
This is the amount you pay (usually monthly) to keep your health insurance active. Think of it as the cost of having insurance — not the cost of services themselves.
Deductible
This is the amount you must pay out-of-pocket for covered services before your insurance begins to contribute. For example, if your deductible is $1,500, you typically pay the first $1,500 of covered care each plan year before insurance starts paying.
Copay (Copayment)
A set dollar amount you pay for a service once insurance starts sharing costs. Example: You might have a $30 copay for a nutrition session.
Coinsurance
A percentage of the cost you pay after your deductible has been met. Example: If your plan has 20% coinsurance for a session that costs $180, you pay $36 and insurance pays the rest.
Out-of-Pocket Maximum
The most you’ll pay in a plan year for covered services. Once you reach this limit, your insurance typically pays 100% of covered care for the rest of the year.
In-Network vs. Out-of-Network (PPO vs. HMO)
In-network means a provider (like us) has a contract with your insurance plan — usually resulting in lower costs to you.
- Clients with a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plan that we are in-network with often have no out-of-pocket cost for nutrition counseling services.
Out-of-network indicates a provider does not have a contract with your insurance plan, which often means higher costs to you.
- NWK is not in-network with any Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plans, so clients will need to pay out-of-pocket for sessions.
Explanation of Benefits (EOB)
A statement from your insurance explaining how a claim was processed — what was covered, what you owe, and why. (This is not a bill).
Referral
A referral is approval or a recommendation from another healthcare provider (such as a primary care physician or therapist) for you to receive care from a specialist, like a Registered Dietitian. Since licensure for Registered Dietitians varies by state, we are required to have a referral on file for all clients so that we can provide medical nutrition therapy. Ideally the referral would come from your primary care physician or psychiatrist. If your insurance plan requires certain diagnoses for coverage for our services, we will let you know in advance so you can ask your referring provider to include the covered diagnosis you qualify for. Your provider can complete this online form or send this PDF via email to hello@nourishedwithkindness.com or fax to 805-930-0101.
Insurance at Nourished with Kindness — How It Works
✨ We verify benefits for you, if indicated.
Before your first session, we provide insight regarding your insurance coverage:
- Whether we’re in-network for your plan
- Whether visits will be subject to your deductible, copays, or coinsurance
- Whether any visit limits or prior authorizations apply
✨ We submit claims on your behalf.
You won’t need to send claims yourself — we handle that for you.
✨ We serve clients in multiple states.
We provide in-person and telehealth services in California, Oregon, and Montana. We also offer telehealth services in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Florida*, Idaho*, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington*, and Wisconsin. (*Available with select clinicians)
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did I get a bill from Nourished with Kindness even though I have insurance?
Bills happen for different reasons:
- Your deductible hasn’t been met
- You plan doesn’t cover services 100%, so you have a coinsurance or copay
- A service wasn’t covered under your plan
- You canceled, no-showed or rescheduled an appointment within 48 hours, which is in violation of our cancellation policy. We cannot bill insurance for appointments that do not happen and insurance doesn't cover cancellation fees, so clients are responsible for paying these fees.
What’s the difference between an EOB and a bill?
Your EOB tells you how insurance processed a claim. Your bill is a request for payment from us after insurance processes the claim.
What if insurance denies a claim?
Insurance denials can feel frustrating but are common. Sometimes NWK may be able to request reprocessing directly from the insurance company, but sometimes we need help from the client to advocate that the services be covered. In many cases, you can request a reconsideration or file an appeal. We can support you with documentation, but appeals are typically managed by the client and/or policyholder.
Is nutrition counseling for eating disorders covered by insurance?
Many PPO plans do cover nutrition counseling. NWK bills your insurance plan using either an eating disorder diagnosis code or a preventive nutrition code when appropriate — based on your clinical needs and the diagnoses we have referrals for.
Helpful Tips When You Call Insurance
- Ask for details on copays, deductibles, coinsurance, prior authorizations, and visit limits
- Write down the date, time, representative’s name, and reference number
- Remember that anything an insurance rep tells you on the phone is an estimate until it’s processed in writing.
We’re Here to Support You
Insurance can be really confusing — and it shouldn’t be a barrier to care. We’re committed to transparency and helping you understand your benefits in a way that feels empowering, not overwhelming.
If you have questions about your coverage, our team is happy to help — just reach out.
Legal-Safe Disclaimers
This information is for general educational purposes and does not guarantee coverage from your insurance plan. Insurance benefits vary widely based on your plan, employer group, and policy terms. Verification of benefits is not a guarantee of payment by your insurance. You are ultimately responsible for any charges not covered by your insurance company.