Topic

MNT CPT Codes for Dietitians: 97802, 97803, 97804

Almost every insurance dollar a registered dietitian earns runs through three CPT codes: 97802 for the initial assessment, 97803 for follow-ups and 97804 for groups. Getting paid depends on the details around them: units that match the minutes you documented, a diagnosis the payer accepts for that code, the right place of service and modifier, and a claim with every field filled. These guides walk through each step in the order a claim is built, from the visit to the CMS-1500.

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  1. MNT billing codes: every code a dietitian bills, in one placeEvery code a dietitian bills: 97802-97804, G0270/G0271, 99401-99404, S9470 and the ICD-10 codes that pair with them. Units, rules, denials.
  2. How to Bill Insurance as a Registered Dietitian (2026 Guide)Insurance billing for private-practice RDs, step by step: credentialing, verifying benefits, coding sessions, submitting claims, and getting paid.
  3. MNT CPT Codes: 97802, 97803, 97804 ExplainedWhich MNT code fits which nutrition visit: 97802, 97803, 97804, Medicare G0270/G0271, 99401–99404 and S9470, with a decision table and links to each code.
  4. The 8-Minute Rule for Dietitians: Counting MNT UnitsHow the 8-minute rule works for MNT codes 97802 and 97803: the full unit table, worked examples, what counts as billable time, and why rounding costs you.

Articles

Insurance Billing

97802 vs 97803: Which Code, and Can You Bill 97802 Again?

When a visit is 97802 and when it's 97803, whether you can bill 97802 again after a gap or a new diagnosis, and what Medicare and commercial payers say.

 Insurance Billing

How to Bill Insurance as a Registered Dietitian (2026 Guide)

Insurance billing for private-practice RDs, step by step: credentialing, verifying benefits, coding sessions, submitting claims, and getting paid.

 Insurance Billing

The 8-Minute Rule for Dietitians: Counting MNT Units

How the 8-minute rule works for MNT codes 97802 and 97803: the full unit table, worked examples, what counts as billable time, and why rounding costs you.

 Insurance Billing

MNT CPT Codes: 97802, 97803, 97804 Explained

Which MNT code fits which nutrition visit: 97802, 97803, 97804, Medicare G0270/G0271, 99401–99404 and S9470, with a decision table and links to each code.

 Insurance Billing

How to Fill Out a CMS-1500 as a Dietitian (Box-by-Box Guide)

A box-by-box CMS-1500 guide for dietitians: referring provider in box 17, ICD-10 in box 21, service lines in box 24, and the errors that cause rejections.

 Insurance Billing

Billing Group Nutrition Sessions With CPT 97804

How CPT 97804 group MNT billing works: 30-minute units, per-hour revenue math, coverage caveats, per-participant documentation, and group ideas.

Reference pages

CPT code

CPT 97802: the initial MNT assessment code

CPT 97802 for dietitians: the descriptor, 15-minute units, the rule of 8, Medicare vs commercial rules, ICD-10 pairing and the errors behind denials.

 CPT code

CPT 97803: the MNT follow-up code

CPT 97803 for MNT follow-ups: descriptor, unit math, when to switch from 97802, Medicare hour limits, pairing codes and the denials to avoid.

 CPT code

CPT 97804: group medical nutrition therapy

How CPT 97804 works for group nutrition sessions: 30-minute units per patient, group size, documentation per participant, and coverage caveats.

 CPT code

CPT 99401, 99402, 99403 and 99404: can dietitians bill them?

What 99401, 99402, 99403 and 99404 cover, time per code, whether dietitians can bill them, and when a payer wants 97802/97803 instead.

 HCPCS code

G0108 and G0109: diabetes self-management training codes

G0108 and G0109 are diabetes self-management training codes. Who can bill them (accredited programs), hour limits, and how DSMT and MNT combine.

 HCPCS code

G0270 and G0271: extra Medicare MNT hours after a second referral

G0270 and G0271 explained: Medicare MNT reassessment after a change in diagnosis or treatment, the new-referral requirement, units and telehealth.

 HCPCS code

G0447 and G0473: can a dietitian bill Medicare obesity counseling?

G0447 is Medicare's intensive behavioral therapy for obesity. Who can bill it, why an RD can't bill it directly, and the incident-to route.

 HCPCS code

HCPCS S9470: nutritional counseling, dietitian visit

HCPCS S9470 explained: which commercial and Medicaid plans use it instead of 97802/97803, how it's billed (per visit), and how to check.

Key terms

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