Behavioral Therapy for Obesity.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has determined that intensive behavioral therapy for obesity is reasonable and necessary for the prevention or early detection of illness or disability.

Intensive behavioral therapy for obesity consists of the following:

1. Screening for obesity in adults.*
2. Dietary (nutritional) assessment.
3. Intensive behavioral counseling and therapy to promote sustained weight loss through high intensity interventions on diet and exercise.

Benefits include:

• One face-to-face visit every week for the first month.
• One face-to-face visit every other week for months 2-6.
• One face-to-face visit every month for months 7-12, if the beneficiary meets the weight loss requirement of at least 3kg over the course of the first 6 months.

* Defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m² or more (weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters).