How to see a Dietitian & Nutritionist (in Darwin)

Private Health Dietitian and Nutritionist Appointments in Darwin

In Australia, all Dietitians, are also qualified Nutritionists. However, it's important to know not all Nutritionists are Dietitians as the title Nutritionist is not regulated in the same was as Dietitian.

You can easily book in to see one of our Dietitians and Nutritionists in Darwin as a private patient without a referral. Private health rebates are available for all appointments and clinicians. If you would like to check what your provider covers, the item number for an initial Dietitian appointment is 500, and for review 600. This can sometimes be more than the Medicare rebate and worth checking. We also offer Dietitian packages paid in advance which saves you money compared to booking one at a time, read more about our packages here.

Medicare Dietitian – Chronic Disease Management Plan (CDM)

You can obtain a Medicare CDM, also known as EPC or TCA referral from your GP. This entitles you to 5 visits to any allied health for the year. The Medicare rebate for Dietitians is $58, so you save this amount from your total appointment fee. The eligibility criteria for this are quite broad, if you have experienced a chronic health condition lasting longer than 6 months, you are eligible. Some examples are:

-          High cholesterol

-          Osteoporosis or Osteopenia

-          Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

-          Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

-          Diabetes

-          Stroke

-          Kidney Disease

-          High blood pressure

-          Osteoarthritis

-          Weight management

-          Iron deficiency

-          Malnutrition or unintentional weight loss

You are eligible for this plan every year and can use between any allied health e.g. Dietitian, Physiotherapist, Exercise Physiologist. It can be a great option to get the ball rolling and reduce the overall cost of getting started and then follow up with private reviews as needed.

Medicare – Eating Disorder Care Plan (EDP)

Through Medicare, individuals can access the Eating Disorder Care Plan for Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia, and Binge Eating Disorder. Even if you have not been formally diagnosed with any of these conditions, you may still meet the criteria.

If you have struggled with restriction, negative thoughts around food and body, or episodes of binge eating and feeling out of control, please speak with your GP to start getting a supportive health team around you.

This plan entitles you to 20 Dietitian sessions per year. The Medicare rebate is $58, so you save this amount from your total appointment fee for each consult. Through this plan you also have access to 10 Medicare subsidised psychology appointments for the year. We work closely with several psychologists who specialise in this area and can put you in touch. If your GP is not familiar with this plan or how to create a referral, they can download the printable pdf referral form here. We often recommend patients bring this into the consult with them just in case. The EDP has only been around for about 4 years and not all GPs are aware of this option.

Dietitian appointments for Veterans (DVA)

Dietitians are able to support Veterans through a referral from your GP. This can be on a D904 referral form, or a general referral form with DVA details and approved conditions listed. This entitles Veterans to 12 Dietitian sessions covered by DVA. If we still have goals to work on and you would like to see the Dietitian regularly, we can obtain a further 12 sessions from your GP on an ongoing basis.

We are able to see Gold card holders for any health condition, for a list of conditions we commonly treat, see our about page. Dietitians can also see White card holders with any approved mental health condition. DVA recognises the strong link and body of research linking nutrition to mental health. We can assist with optimising nutrition, dietary habits, and patterns to improve mental health and wellbeing. We also welcome family members and partners to attend appointments together so the whole household can be on board with the nutrition plan and so we can make the plan suitable for all family members involved, this is all covered under DVA.

 

Dietitian appointments for ADF – current serving members

Dietitians NT is a registered ADF provider and regularly sees current serving members across our 4 locations. All ADF personnel are eligible to see a Dietitian for nutrition related health concerns. We regularly see members for:

-          Sports/athletic performance goals

-          Body composition

-          Weight management

-          Gut health including IBS and bloating

-          High cholesterol

-          High blood pressure

-          Suspected food sensitivities

-          Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)

-          Energy and fatigue management

To obtain a referral, speak with your base Doctor and let them know you would like to see one of the Dietitians at Dietitians NT. They have our details on file and will upload the referral to the ADF provider portal and an appointment will be booked.

Dietitian Appointments for ADF Families

We work closely with Veterans Medical Group and offer support for ADF families. We provide joint consultations with a GP which is completely covered by the ADF family health card through GP funding. These sessions start with both the GP and Dietitian, we go over goals, medical history, and relevant information. You will then have a full consult with the Dietitian to delve deeper and create a plan. The GP then returns at the end of the session, and we discuss the plan, and any medical tests we may need completed so we are all on the same page. This structure is the same for the initial appointment and all review appointments. We see adults and children in this clinic for any health conditions. Our Dietitian Lauren who practices here specialises in:

-          ADHD

-          ASD

-          Women’s Health

-          Relationship with food and body

-          Nutrition for mental health and wellbeing

-          Sports Nutrition

To access this clinic, fill in our contact form here and we will arrange an initial appointment with the Doctor and Dietitian.

NDIS Dietitian Appointments

Dietitians NT regularly see plan and self-managed NDIS participants either in clinic, via telehealth, or home visits. We advocate for fortnightly-monthly regular visits to ensure sufficient time to implement and discuss dietary changes. Our Dietitians regularly provide clinical nutrition support with:

-          Food variety and acceptance

-          PEG or nasogastric feeding (tube feeding)

-          Malnutrition and low body weight

-          ADHD

-          ASD

-          Food intolerances

-          Modified texture diets

-          Maintaining a healthy weight

-          Meal planning, timing, and recipes

To see a Dietitian under NDIS, fill in our contact form here and we will send you our NDIS referral form.

If you have any questions regarding funding options, please get in touch. We are more than happy to help.