BCBS Alabama begins to pay for Obesity visits - Medical and Nutritional

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama - ALL Kids Update, February 2011

ALL Kids benefits now include coverage for four annual office visits for patients with an obesity diagnosis, International Classification of Diseases – Ninth Revision (ICD-9) diagnosis code V85.54. This is for pediatric patients with a body mass index greater than or equal to weight at the 95th percentile for their age.

In addition, patients with this diagnosis are allowed two annual nutritional counseling visits (Physicians’“Common Procedure Terminology” codes 97802 and 97803) with an eligible provider. These counseling visits are defined as 15-minute face-to-face assessments with the patient for medical nutritional therapy.