US · guidance
CMS Pub. 100-03, ch. 1, § 20.31.1
The Pritikin Program (Effective August 12, 2010)
A. General
The Pritikin diet was designed and adopted by Nathan Pritikin in 1955. The diet was
modeled after the diet of the Tarahumara Indians in Mexico, which consisted of 10% fat,
13% protein, 75-80% carbohydrates and provided 15-20 grams per day of crude fiber
with only 75 mg/day of cholesterol. Over the years, the Pritikin Program (also known as
the Pritikin Longevity Program) evolved into a comprehensive program that is provided
in a physician’s office and incorporates a specific diet (10%-15% of calories from fat,
15%-20% from protein, 65%-75% from complex carbohydrates), exercise, and
counseling lasting 21-26 days. An optional residential component is also available for
participants.
B. Nationally Covered Indications
Effective for claims with dates of service on and after August 12, 2010, the Pritikin
Program meets the intensive cardiac rehabilitation (ICR) program requirements set forth
by Congress in §1861(eee)(4)(A) of the Social Security Act and in regulations at 42
C.F.R. §410.49(c) and, as such, has been included on the list of approved ICR programs
available at http://www.cms.gov/MedicareApprovedFacilitie/.
C. Nationally Non-Covered Indications
Effective August 12, 2010, if a specific ICR program is not included on the list as a
Medicare-approved ICR program, it is non-covered.
D. Other
N/A
(This NCD last reviewed August 2010.)
History
(Rev. 125, Issued: 09-24-10, Effective: 08-12-10, Implementation: 10-25-10)
Provenance
- Source
- cms.gov
- Retrieved
- 2026-08-25
- Edition
- iom-2026-08-25
- Content hash
f155aabe61dbfeb6dc05ce5646a82e5918bd1c69a61bfc3318156ccd4773ac2c
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