Are Dietary Consultations For Specialized Renal Diets Covered By Insurance?

Dietary consultations for specialised renal diets are typically not covered by standard basic health insurance plans as standalone outpatient treatments. However, they may be covered if your specific plans include OPD (outpatient department) coverage, wellness benefits, or if the dietitian visit is part of medically required pre- and post-hospitalisation.

How to Know If Your Plan Covers It:

• OPD Coverage: If you hold a specific plan or comprehensive policy with in-built OPD (outpatient benefits), routine consultations with specialists can be claimed up to your specified annual limit.


• Hospitalisation: If you are undergoing treatments like dialysis or a kidney transplant, the nutritionist and dietary consultations given by the hospital during your stay are generally covered.


• Wellness & Telemedicine: Many specific plans of health insurers in India offer unlimited free virtual tele-consultation, which often include access to diet & nutrition instruction. You can check if this extends to a specialised renal dietitian by logging into your insurer's portal.

What Are the Dietary Precautions You Need to Keep in Mind in a Dialysis Procedure?

While undergoing dialysis, you need to take dietary precautions and implement a favourable diet for the kidneys. Limiting fluids, certain foods, and condiments are some restrictions that you must follow to improve your kidney health. The following are the instructions regarding your diet that you must follow during dialysis treatment:

• Avoid food high in salt and sodium


• Take less potassium and phosphorus


• Intake of protein-rich food


• Restrictions focus on total fluid volume (typically 1,000-1,500 mL/day) and electrolytes (K, P, Na).

Why Do People Need Dialysis?

If your kidneys stop functioning properly, then you need to undergo dialysis treatment because when you have severe kidney failure, your kidneys might not be able to clean the blood properly. While you are dealing with diabetes, high blood pressure, and lupus, the remaining waste products and fluids can harm your body by causing plenty of unpleasant symptoms.

Nephrologists consider kidney failure when you reach stage 5 of kidney disease. At this point, your kidneys cannot function at more than 15% of their normal rate. Dialysis and a kidney transplant are the only treatments to keep you alive for a prolonged time during this medical condition.