PSA: You Might Be Eligible for a Free Nutritionist—Here’s How to Check

I’ve been a registered dietitian (RD) for over a decade and have pretty much seen it all. From hospitals and community clinics to private practice settings and the digital space, I’ve worked across many sectors of the profession. And through all of these experiences, I’ve noticed one massive industry issue, regardless of the setting: lack of insurance coverage for nutrition consultation.

While patients receive nutrition care as part of their hospital stay, many are left without support once they return home. Some may have minimal coverage, like a session or two per year, while others have no coverage whatsoever. Then, there’s a whole other group of people who are covered but don’t know it because of the headache and time needed to confirm coverage.

The hassle of getting in touch with health insurance representatives is felt by nutrition businesses, too. Many small nutrition businesses can’t afford to waste time on the phone with these companies, and in turn, don’t take health insurance whatsoever. All of these factors leave many Americans without access to nutrition care—one of the best treatment and prevention tools for a variety of acute and chronic illnesses. 

Thankfully, one company is working to address these industry-wide issues—Berry Street. I tried this online service out for myself (as an RD), learning how it works, what it offers, and if it’s worth trying. Here are my honest thoughts.

What is Berry Street?

Berry Street is an online platform of over 1,000 board-certified registered dietitians/nutritionists (RDs and RDNs) across all 50 states. These RDs are covered by most major insurance plans, including Aetna, BCBS, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, and others. Berry Street connects individuals to qualified RDs through in-person and virtual nutrition appointments that are *actually* covered by insurance. 

The company was started by Noah Kotlove, CEO and co-founder of Berry Street. “For as long as I can remember, I struggled with my relationship with food. If I wasn’t over-indulging, I was calorie-counting. I spent the first three decades of my life clinically obese. Working with a registered dietitian helped me rewire my relationship with food,” he said. 

After a life-changing 60-pound weight loss, Kotlove discovered that, contrary to popular belief, many Americans actually had insurance coverage for nutrition care. “When I learned that not only did health insurance cover this life-changing care, but it was free for most people, I decided to start Berry Street to help more people get the help they deserve,” Kotlove explained.

“America’s poor nutrition is killing us: more than one in two people¹ in the U.S. suffer from a chronic disease caused by their diet. And a clinically-proven solution is within reach—and already covered by our health insurance,” he added. Berry Street was built in an effort to connect as many people as possible to this solution to help them meet their health goals.

The brand's fleet of RDs can tackle any nutrition concern you might have, too. “Berry Street has dietitians who specialize in dozens of other chronic and acute conditions, including women's health areas like polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), pre- and post-natal nutrition, and more. Whatever your personal health challenges and goals may be, nutrition therapy can help you feel better,” Kotlove shared. The platform also has a team of RDs specializing in glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist medications, better known as GLP-1 agonists or GLP-1s, helping people on these medications to lose weight in the healthiest way possible.

My Experience with Berry Street

After learning about the mission of the company, I was super excited to give it a try. 

When I first logged in, I was struck by how visually appealing and user-friendly Berry Street’s website is. I input my health and insurance information and was matched with an RD that accepted my insurance in mere minutes.

Something that stood out to me was that Berry Street, unlike some other competitors, is upfront about any potential out-of-pocket costs. While other platforms might initially say it’s $0 and only reveal charges later in the process—once you’re already too far in to back out—Berry Street prioritizes transparency from the start, which I really appreciated.

Once it was time for said appointment, it was super simple to log on. I just clicked the link in one of my many emails and was immediately connected to my RD. To start, she gathered all the necessary information for insurance documentation and comprehensive care, like health history, food preferences, allergies, activity level, etc. (And, for what it's worth, she was very surprised my insurance didn't cover the appointment, so it feels rare.)

Then, we discussed eating for general wellness (my goal for the day’s appointment). Everything she recommended was in line with best practices—namely, eating a range of options from all the food groups (according to food allergies or intolerances) in amounts that would help me meet my macro- and micronutrient needs daily.

One thing that I was super impressed by was how the company utilizes AI to make RDs’ lives easier. While the RD gathers client health and food preference information, AI is listening, documenting this data for the RD, and creating individualized meal plans. Candidly, my absolute least favorite things to do as an RD are charting and making meal plans, so this use of AI is nothing short of ingenious in my book. 

My RD sent me a sample meal plan after our appointment, and I must say, it was put together perfectly. The plan included a variety of balanced meals, both plant and animal protein-based, that succinctly cited nutritionals, ingredients needed for individual portions, and easy-to-follow recipe instructions. After the appointment was over, Berry Street sent plenty of supportive follow-up, too, in case I wanted to ask my RD any additional questions through their online portal or schedule another appointment.

I also had a candid conversation with my RD at the end of the appointment, sharing what I was really up to. This RD has been working with Berry Street for six months as a side gig on top of her full-time job at a skilled nursing facility (a real-life angel!). She chose to work with the company as an easy, flexible, and enjoyable second source of income. 

She shared that the application process was straightforward and onboarding was just as simple. This RD loved that Berry Street takes care of all the backend insurance communications for her, acquiring more covered appointments for clients who need them. She mentioned that the company compensates competitively, too (which I love to hear).

The Good and the Not-So-Good

Pros

• Very easy to use
• Accepts most major insurance companies
• Over 1,000 RDs from all 50 states

Cons

• Potential out-of-pocket costs if not covered by insurance

Final Thoughts

Overall, I think that Berry Street is helping to address some of the most frustrating issues within the dietetics industry. They support clients and dietitians alike through taking care of all insurance company communications for an enjoyable, straightforward experience for both parties. This means clients can get the care they need, and RDs can support as many clients as possible while also building their business as a primary or secondary source of income. Berry Street’s massive network of RDs also ensures access to a specialist, no matter how specific your nutrition needs are.

So, if you’ve ever been curious about meeting with an RD for better health (or have serious nutrition-related concerns) and currently have health insurance, it’s worth logging onto Berry Street to see if you’re covered. Trust me, it’s way better than listening to maddening hold music for an hour just to speak with an insurance representative and then doing the legwork of finding a covered RD.