Is Health Coaching Reimbursable Through Insurance?

Weight loss counseling or health coaching requires a letter of medical necessity (LMN) to be eligible for reimbursement with a flexible spending account (FSA), health savings account (HSA), or health reimbursement accounts (HRA).

Currently, weight loss counting is not eligible for reimbursement with a limited care flexible spending account (LCFSA).

You can find additional details in the documentation for your specific plan. The information below is what we've found to be true for most clients.

How To Get A Letter Of Medical Necessity

Call or visit your doctor and tell them you want to take an active role in your health and lose weight. If you don't have much weight to lose, you can talk to them about changing your diet to improve any health condition you have been diagnosed with.

Some of the health conditions that may be covered include obesity, sleep apnea, cancer, depression, fatty liver disease, fibromyalgia, endometriosis, pcos, menopause, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, kidney disease, gout, arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), parkinsons, and many more.

This letter should outline how your medical condition requires a health coach and how the treatment will help to alleviate your health condition.

Know that if your treatment plan extends beyond the current plan year, another Letter Of Medical Necessity will need to be submitted to the benefits administrator for continued coverage.

Usually, doctors are more than willing to provide this for you. Some doctors will have a form letter already developed. If not, we have created this template for you to use. Simply click here to download it. You can email this form to your doctor or drop off a printed copy for them.

Chiropractors are often willing to write these letters of medical necessity as well.

What Do I Do When I Get My Letter Of Medical Necessity

Now that you have your letter of medical necessity submit it to your FSA, HSA, or HRA for approval. You may need to call them to figure out the exact process for your plan.

Some plans will have you submit this letter of medical necessity along with the receipt from your coaching payment. We are happy to create a custom receipt for you if needed for your plan. Email us at tara@wholebodyliving.com to request one.

How Long Will I Need Continued Health Coaching?

A health coach specializes in behavioral change as well as wellness coaching. To change health behaviors, it generally takes a minimum of three months. If you have more than fifty pounds to lose, have underlying conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, or others, and know you have many habits to change, we may work together for a year or more before you're ready to go at it alone. We will teach you to think differently so that you don't feel like you are climbing a mountain without any support. 

How Can I Get The Best Results With Health Coaching

For the very best results, come to each session with an open mind. Be ready and willing to try new things in your life. Together, I'll help you change your mindset so you can get out of your own way and stop the self-sabotage. Together, we will work on how you think about failure and set realistic and attainable goals to bolster your confidence early on.

How Do I Know You Are The Right Fit For Me?

There are many health coaching services to choose from. So, how do you know I am the right fit for you? It's one of the most important questions you can ask when choosing a health coach because it's essential you feel comfortable with your coach.

Let me tell you a little about me, beyond my health coaching certification and training with The Institute For Integrative Nutrition, I became a health coach in 2011 because I was struggling with severe chronic migraines. A good day meant I had a dull headache all day. A bad day left me in bed with tears streaming down my face because the pain was so bad. I felt trapped inside my own body. 

My health coaching training provided the knowledge I needed to come off all of the medications that were supposed to be preventing migraines. I improved my dietary style and omitted artificial sweeteners. In time, the headaches went away completely. The only medication I was left with was my allergy medication. 

But I still had abdominal pain, and the specialists couldn't find anything wrong with me. I had to learn to be my own health advocate and interact with doctors differently before the answer came to light five years later. Finally, I was diagnosed with endometriosis. After 24 years of living with symptoms that I initially thought were typical menstruation symptoms, I had a diagnosis. After much research about endometriosis, I decided to start the keto diet in March of 2017.

Furthermore, my struggle with weight began as a child. I was always heavier than the other kids. I heard that I was 'big-boned' and 'stocky' from as early as I remember. At 14 years of age, I learned that eating fat was making me fat. For years, I went on a diet that I thought was healthy. I watched my calories and ate as little fat as possible. I remember my diet consisted of saltine crackers, pretzels, diet soda, and the low-fat sweets I created in my kitchen. I had a strong sweet tooth, and the good news was that sugar is fat-free. So, I started developing low-fat recipes for cookies, cakes, brownies, and other sweets in our farmhouse kitchen.

I've struggled with weight ever since. Each decade of my life brought different stressors and challenges. Now, in my 40's, I've finally learned the keys to happiness and confidence in myself. But I'm not done yet. I invest thousands of hours per year reading, researching, and writing about the psychology and neuroscience of mindset and habit change. I passionately love to learn why human beings do the things we do. Furthermore, I attend health conferences to continually build my knowledge and understanding of how the body works to help my clients improve their health.

Here's the thing you need to know about me. In our sessions, you aren't going to find judgment or criticism. Instead, you'll find empathy and support on your journey to create a life and body you love to live in. I'll teach you how to think differently about your health and your habits. I'll be your guide along the way. But, the hard work is all on you. This journey isn't comfortable, but you can grow to love the journey and find happiness in this life if you're willing to work hard and show up each week regardless of the failures you've had.  

Before we begin working together, I recommend you sign up for our Sustainable Keto Membership program. This is our weekly group coaching program priced at an affordable rate. While we created this program for those on keto or low-carb diets, the coaching we provide applies to any diet. 

We meet weekly on a Zoom video call and talk about a variety of topics. To learn more, click here.