Billing codes
MNT billing codes: every code a dietitian bills, in one place
By Javier Alvarez · Updated · 8 min read
| Core MNT codes | 97802 (initial), 97803 (follow-up), 97804 (group) |
|---|---|
| Unit length | 15 minutes for 97802/97803/G0270; 30 minutes for 97804/G0271 |
| Medicare extra hours | G0270 (individual), G0271 (group), after a second referral |
| Non-Medicare per-visit code | S9470 (some commercial and Medicaid plans) |
| Codes RDs usually can't bill directly | 99401-99404 (E/M), G0447/G0473 (primary care only), G0108/G0109 (accredited programs only) |
| Medicare MNT diagnoses | Diabetes, non-dialysis kidney disease, 36 months post kidney transplant |
| Common commercial diagnoses | E66.x + Z68.x, R73.03, E78.x, Z71.3, K58.x, F50.x |
A nutrition claim has two halves. The procedure code (CPT or HCPCS) says what you did and for how long. The diagnosis code (ICD-10-CM) says why. Most MNT denials come from one of the two not matching the payer's rules: the wrong code for the visit, units that don't match the note, or a diagnosis that routes the claim to a benefit the member doesn't have.
This hub lists every code a dietitian in private practice is likely to bill, what each one is for, and where the traps are. Each code links to its own page with the full rules, units, examples and denial fixes.
Which code for which visit
Start here. Find the visit, then open the code's page for details.
| Visit | Medicare | Most commercial plans | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| First MNT visit, one patient | 97802 | 97802 | 15-minute units |
| Follow-up, one patient | 97803 | 97803 | 15-minute units |
| Group class (2+ patients) | 97804 | 97804 (verify coverage by code) | 30-minute units per participant |
| Extra hours after a second referral for a change in condition | G0270 (individual), G0271 (group) | Rarely used; 97803/97804 | Medicare only needs these |
| Plan that pays nutrition counseling per visit | Not valid | S9470 if the plan asks for it | No time element |
| Preventive counseling billed by a physician or NP | Non-covered | 99401–99404 | E/M codes; many plans bar RDs |
| Obesity behavioral therapy in primary care | G0447 / G0473, billed by the primary care practitioner | Varies | RD can deliver it incident-to only |
| Diabetes self-management training | G0108 / G0109, accredited programs only | Varies | Not the same day as MNT |
If you're a dietitian billing under your own NPI, most of your claims will be 97802, 97803 and sometimes 97804. The rest of the table is for knowing when a different code applies, and when it isn't yours to bill.
CPT codes: 97802, 97803, 97804
The three MNT CPT codes describe nutrition assessment and intervention delivered face-to-face by a qualified professional:
- 97802: initial assessment and intervention, individual, each 15 minutes. The first MNT visit. Medicare's claims manual says it's used only once, for the initial assessment of a new patient. Medicare MUE: 12 units per day.
- 97803: re-assessment and intervention, individual, each 15 minutes. Every individual visit after the first, including the first visit of a new year. Medicare MUE: 11 units per day.
- 97804: group (2 or more individuals), each 30 minutes. Billed per participant, each on their own claim. Medicare MUE: 6 units per day.
All three have status A (active, separately paid) in the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and are on the CY 2026 Medicare telehealth list. MUE values are from the CMS practitioner table effective October 1, 2026, and they change quarterly.
The question that trips people most, "can I bill 97802 again?", has its own post: 97802 vs 97803. For a narrative explainer of the three codes, see CPT codes for dietitians.
HCPCS codes: G0270, G0271, S9470, G0447, G0108/G0109
HCPCS Level II codes come from CMS's national code set. Some exist only for Medicare, and some only for everyone except Medicare.
- G0270 / G0271: Medicare MNT beyond the standard hours. When a physician sends a second referral in the same year for a change in diagnosis, condition or treatment, the extra individual time is G0270 (15-minute units) and extra group time is G0271 (30-minute units). In the 2026 fee schedule file they carry the same relative values as 97803 and 97804. G0270 is on the 2026 telehealth list; G0271 isn't.
- S9470: nutritional counseling, dietitian visit. An S code, which is a temporary code for non-Medicare payers. Some commercial and Medicaid plans use it, usually per visit. Medicare lists it as not valid.
- G0447 / G0473: intensive behavioral therapy for obesity. Medicare covers it for BMI 30 or higher in primary care. Only primary care specialties can bill it on professional claims, so a dietitian can deliver it only incident-to a primary care practitioner.
- G0108 / G0109: diabetes self-management training. Per 30 minutes, individual or group. Only accredited DSMT programs can bill it. A patient can have full DSMT and full MNT in the same year, but not on the same day.
Preventive counseling codes: 99401–99404
99401, 99402, 99403 and 99404 are preventive medicine counseling codes at about 15, 30, 45 and 60 minutes. They sit in CPT's evaluation and management section, which is the problem for dietitians:
- Medicare: status N (non-covered) in the 2026 fee schedule; MUE 0.
- UnitedHealthcare commercial: its nonphysician E/M reimbursement policy says a registered dietitian performing MNT should not report 99401 and should use codes such as 97802.
- Others: a few contracts list them for dietitians. Get that in writing before you bill.
Preventive coverage policies often list 99401–99404 right next to 97802–97804, as UnitedHealthcare's does. That's a statement about the member's benefit, not about who may bill. For a dietitian, the default is 97802/97803 routed through the preventive benefit with the right diagnosis. See preventive vs medical benefits.
ICD-10 codes dietitians pair with MNT
The diagnosis tells the payer why the visit happened, and it decides which benefit pays. The codes dietitians use most, each with its own page:
| Diagnosis | Code family | Why it matters for MNT |
|---|---|---|
| Type 2 diabetes | E11 | Qualifies for Medicare MNT with a physician referral |
| Chronic kidney disease | N18 | Medicare covers non-dialysis renal disease; stage matters |
| Prediabetes | R73.03 | Preventive nutrition benefit on some commercial plans; not Medicare MNT |
| Obesity | E66 (incl. E66.811–E66.813) | Primary diagnosis for weight-related MNT on commercial plans |
| BMI | Z68 | Secondary only, and needs a related diagnosis |
| Dietary counseling | Z71.3 | Payers disagree on it as primary; never qualifies Medicare MNT |
| Hyperlipidemia | E78 | Often covered as cardiovascular-risk counseling |
| IBS | K58 | GI indication on commercial plans; not Medicare MNT |
| Gestational diabetes | O24.4 | Pregnancy codes go first |
| PCOS | E28.2 | Coverage often rides on related diagnoses |
| Eating disorders | F50 | Severity characters since Oct 2024 |
| Hypertension | I10 | CVD risk factor on UHC's preventive MNT row; I12 replaces it with CKD |
| Hypothyroidism | E03.9 | Usually secondary; Hashimoto's is E06.3 |
| Celiac disease | K90.0 | Medical-benefit GI indication; gluten sensitivity is K90.41 |
| GERD | K21.9 | K21.00/K21.01 with esophagitis; K21.0 is a header |
| Iron deficiency anemia | D50.9 | Low iron without anemia is E61.1 |
| Vitamin D deficiency | E55.9 | Needs the provider's diagnosis, not a lab value |
| Abnormal weight loss | R63.4 | Symptom code until a diagnosis is established |
| Abnormal weight gain | R63.5 | Excludes1 with E66 obesity codes |
| Malnutrition | E43, E44.0, E44.1, E46 | Coded by documented severity; the provider must diagnose it |
| Fatty liver (MASLD) | K76.0 | MASLD added as an inclusion term Oct 2025; MASH is K75.81 |
| Obesity in pregnancy | O99.21- | Pregnancy code first, E66 second, no Z68 |
| Nutrition screening vs. counseling | Z13.21 vs. Z71.3 | Z13.21 is a screening code and rarely fits MNT |
Two rules prevent most diagnosis denials:
- Point each procedure line to the diagnosis that justifies it. A missing or wrong diagnosis pointer is a clerical error that still stops payment.
- Sequence for the benefit you mean to use. A preventive visit usually wants a wellness or risk code first; a medical visit wants the condition first. Cigna's preventive policy, for example, says preventive services billed with illness diagnoses are reviewed under the medical benefit.
The full ICD-10 guide is ICD-10 codes for dietitians. To go from a measured BMI to the right Z68 and obesity class code, use the BMI to ICD-10 code finder.
Units and time: the rule of 8 in one table
MNT codes are time-based. Count face-to-face minutes only (in person or live video), never charting, and apply the midpoint rule: a unit counts once you pass half of it.
| Face-to-face minutes | 15-minute codes (97802, 97803, G0270) | 30-minute codes (97804, G0271) |
|---|---|---|
| 0–7 | 0 | 0 |
| 8–15 | 1 | 0 |
| 16–22 | 1 | 1 |
| 23–37 | 2 | 1 |
| 38–45 | 3 | 1 |
| 46–52 | 3 | 2 |
| 53–67 | 4 | 2 |
| 68–75 | 5 | 2 |
| 76–82 | 5 | 3 |
| 83–97 | 6 | 3 |
Exceptions:
- 99401–99404 aren't billed in units. Pick the one code whose typical time is closest to the actual time.
- S9470 usually pays per visit.
- G0108/G0109 (DSMT) must be furnished in increments of at least 30 minutes.
- Payer caps and MUEs sit on top of the math. Some payers read 30-minute group codes more strictly than the midpoint rule.
The deeper walk-through, including what counts as billable time, is in the 8-minute rule for dietitians. To convert minutes without the table, use the free MNT units calculator.
Place of service and telehealth
- In person: usually POS 11 (office).
- Telehealth, patient at home: POS 10. Medicare pays it at the non-facility rate.
- Telehealth, patient elsewhere: POS 02.
- Modifier 95: CMS's current professional billing guidance (MLN901705) names only the POS codes, but Medicare Advantage and commercial plans often require 95. Follow each plan's policy.
- Medicare home telehealth is allowed through December 31, 2027, per CMS's February 2026 telehealth FAQ.
More in telehealth billing for dietitians and Medicare telehealth for MNT in 2026.
Codes that trigger denials (and the fix)
| What went wrong | Typical code on the remit | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Referring NPI missing on a Medicare MNT claim | CO-16 or returned unprocessable | Add the referring physician's NPI and resubmit |
| Diagnosis doesn't match the procedure or the policy | CO-11, CO-167 | Fix the pointer or sequence; check the payer's covered diagnoses |
| Medical necessity not supported | CO-50 | Appeal with the note and referral, or accept the payer's policy |
| Annual hours or visits used up | CO-119 | Medicare: second referral and G0270. Commercial: check for an extension |
| 97802 billed for an established patient | Frequency or code-choice denial | Corrected claim with 97803 |
| Units above the MUE or plan cap | Line reduced or denied | Bill what the payer allows |
| RD billed an E/M or primary-care-only code (99401, G0447) | Provider-type denial | Rebill with MNT codes where the service was MNT |
| Telehealth POS/modifier mismatch | CO-4 and similar | Match the POS and modifier to the plan's telehealth policy |
| Wrong payer for an out-of-area Blue member | CO-109 | File to the local Blue plan (BlueCard) |
For the complete lookup of remit codes on nutrition claims, see the denial codes hub. For the workflow of fixing and resubmitting, see nutrition claim denials and how to bill insurance as a dietitian.