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Toastmasters … It’s Not Just for Toasting!

LISA JONES

MA, RDN, LDN, FAND

GUEST AUTHOR

“A speech without a specific purpose is like a journey without a destination� ”

RALPH C. SMEDLEY

Toastmasters is an international, nonprofit educational organization with over 300,000 members in more than 149 countries� There are many reasons for joining this diverse organization, such as becoming a more confident communicator, speaker and leader�

Imagine listening to an educational webinar� Do you notice the speaker using filler words such as “like,” “um,” “uh,” “you know” and “so”? Do you start to pay less attention to what they are saying? Most likely, you become distracted by filler words� Or maybe you have seen a speaker using her or his hands too much and it wasn’t connected to a reason to move� Using your hands excessively is what I refer to as “filler gestures�” Too much of anything isn’t good�

Here is a speech outline about my speaking journey with Toastmasters, and how it helped me to become a

better communicator, and improve

my leadership and speaking skills�

A great opening starts with building better relationships through better communication.

In 2015, I saw an ad in my local paper for a Toastmasters group and I attended the open house� Even though I already spoke frequently, the speakers I saw that night taught me a few lessons� They didn’t use a slide deck but were still able to easily maintain audience engagement� The speakers accomplished their goal of having the listener hear more about their particular topics� I was captivated, and wanted to learn more about how to master the craft of speaking� I joined my local chapter and never looked back�

The body of the speech contains the evidence to support the main message.

How does Toastmasters support its main message? It provides a learning experience called Pathways that features five core competencies: public speaking, interpersonal communication, strategic leadership, management and confidence� In addition to these core subjects, there are 11 other pathways one can take to individualize her/his experience� The many pathways provide an infinite number of possibilities to keep learning�

The conclusion of the speech wraps everything up in a memorable way.

Eventually, I obtained my Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) recognition, the highest honor that can be earned by a member of Toastmasters International� I completed both the leadership and communication tracks, and remain involved in several clubs today, including Nutritionally Speaking, our new NE DPG Toastmasters Club�

I was captivated, and wanted to learn more about how to

master the craft of speaking

Are you interested in learning more about what Toastmasters has to offer? Check out the new NE DPG Toastmasters Club, and join us for a fun meeting to learn how to increase your communications and leadership skills� Start counting your filler words today!

Lisa is an entrepreneur and owner of Lisa Jones LIVE� She is a speaker and author specializing in fueling messages with humor for connection that will motivate, educate and activate� Lisa has a Master of Arts in nutrition education from Immaculata University and a Bachelor of Science in dietetics from West Virginia University� In 2014, Lisa was recognized as Outstanding Dietitian of the Year by the Pennsylvania Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the highest honor bestowed upon a Pennsylvania dietitian�

Telehealth, Insurance and Licensure Q&A

AMY PLANO

MS, RD, CDE, CDN GUEST AUTHOR

WORDS TO KNOW:

Licensure: the process in which a government-associated agency (specific to your state) gives individuals express permission to practice dietetics, which acts as an endorsement that an individual has met minimum competency�

Telehealth: the distribution of health-related services and information via phone or computer�

Superbill: an itemized form used by healthcare providers which details services provided to a patient� It is used to create a healthcare claim which is submitted to payers for reimbursement�

Credentialed: the process of establishing the qualifications of licensed medical professionals and assessing their background and legitimacy� Q: Can you provide virtual nutrition counseling in other states with licensure in only your state?

A: Licensure rules for telehealth are based on the location of the patient at the time of the telehealth call� Therefore, if the patient is located in a state requiring a license (AKA a “red state”) the dietitian needs to have an active license in that state in order to legally provide Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) to that patient�

Q: Can you bill insurance in other states if you are only licensed in your state?

A: The answer is it depends� You can legally bill insurance for outof-state patients� In most cases, as dietitians, we credential with national insurance plans - not individual state-held insurance plans� However, this all still depends on whether or not the patient is located in a licensure or non-licensure state at the time of the telehealth call� If the patient is located in a non-licensure state, then we bill as we would normally bill insurance� However, if the patient is located in a licensure state we need to secure a license in that state before we provide MNT and subsequently bill insurance�

Q: What do you need to know about telehealth to be compliant with insurance and licensure?

A: First things first: you need to know whether or not the patient is located in a licensure state� If the patient is, then you need to secure a license in that state before providing any rendition of MNT to that person� Second, you need to be in good standing in your respective state with your credentialing and licensure status� And lastly, you need to be contracted with the insurance company you intend to bill� Q: Can you create superbills for telehealth (not billing insurance but providing a superbill for the client)?

A: Superbills can be provided for telehealth� However, they are only applicable for patients who have an insurance type that the dietitian doesn’t participate with� If a dietitian is an in-network provider, then the dietitian must submit the claim on behalf of the patient to the insurance company� And, as always, the patient’s out-of-network MNT insurance benefits will be applicable�

Q: If telehealth coverage goes away, will we still be able to provide and bill for telehealth services?

A: Telehealth coverage is dictated on a state-by-state basis� Several states have already extended the coverage indefinitely� However, if a state retracts the telehealth statutes then dietitians will no longer be able to bill insurance for telehealth visits� They will still be able to provide MNT via telehealth (providing licensure rules are followed)� However, insurance will not reimburse for the service in a state where telehealth coverage is no longer permissible�

Amy Plano, The Reimbursement Dietitian, RD, MS, CDE, CDN, is a successful privatepractice dietitian passionate about helping dietitians create a profitable nutrition private practice using an insured-based model� Together with her husband she runs the profitable The Plano Program, a health-and-wellness-based center in Orange, Connecticut� Through both her one-one and group-based reimbursement coaching programs, online resources and seminars, she teaches dietitians exactly how to use health insurance to make money in their nutrition practices�