HR6199

The Medical Nutrition Therapy Act of 2025, HR6199, expands Medicare Part B coverage for medical nutrition therapy beyond diabetes and kidney disease to include obesity, eating disorders, cancer, and HIV/AIDS. It also broadens the types of healthcare professionals who can refer patients for these services to include physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and clinical nurse specialists. This directly increases the demand for registered dietitians and nutrition professionals and expands the scope of covered services, creating a new revenue stream for providers and a larger market for nutrition-focused companies. The money trail for this bill flows directly from Medicare Part B reimbursements to healthcare providers. Companies that employ or contract with registered dietitians and nutrition professionals, such as large hospital systems and integrated healthcare networks, will see increased revenue. Diagnostic companies providing services related to these conditions, like $OMCL and $LH, will also see increased testing volumes as more patients seek diagnosis and management for newly covered conditions. Furthermore, retailers with established health and wellness programs or those that offer nutrition counseling, such as $CVS and , stand to benefit from increased patient engagement and product sales. Historically, expansions of Medicare coverage have led to increased utilization and revenue for the covered services. For example, when Medicare Part D was implemented in 2006, pharmaceutical companies and pharmacies saw significant increases in prescription drug sales and dispensing fees. While direct historical precedent for nutrition therapy expansion is limited, the general trend for Medicare benefit expansion is increased market size. The bill's bipartisan sponsorship (Rep. Kelly [D-IL-2] and Mrs. Kiggans [R-VA]) indicates moderate legislative momentum, despite being early in the process. Specific winners include large healthcare providers and insurers like $UNH, which will manage the increased claims and potentially expand their own nutrition service offerings. Retailers like $CVS and , which have in-store clinics and health programs, are positioned to capture increased demand for nutrition counseling and related health products. Grocery chains such as $WMT and $KR, and even discount retailers like $DG, which are expanding their health and wellness offerings, will see increased sales of healthy food options as nutrition therapy emphasizes dietary changes. Losers are not directly apparent, but companies that do not adapt to the increased focus on preventative and nutritional care may see a relative decline in market share compared to those that do. This bill has been referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Ways and Means. The next steps involve committee hearings and potential markups. If it passes committee, it will proceed to a floor vote in the House. The timeline for passage is uncertain, but committee referral indicates the start of the legislative process.