Medicare MNT rates · Medicare rate

Medicare MNT payment rates in Maryland, 2026

The short answerIn 2026 Medicare pays a registered dietitian in Maryland $31.55 to $34.90 per 15-minute unit of 97802 and $27.24 to $30.17 per unit of 97803 or G0270 in an office, depending on the locality. That is 85% of the Physician Fee Schedule amount, so a one-hour initial visit pays $126.20 to $139.60.

By Javier Alvarez · Updated · 3 min read

97802, dietitian paid per unit$31.55 to $34.90
97803, dietitian paid per unit$27.24 to $30.17
G0270, dietitian paid per unit$27.24 to $30.17
1-hour initial visit (97802 x 4)$126.20 to $139.60
Payment localities3
MAC contractor number12302
National 97802 rate, for comparison$31.23
DataCMS RVU26D, released Aug 26, 2026

Maryland has three Medicare payment localities: two of its own and the DC locality, which covers Montgomery and Prince George's counties. In 2026 a unit of 97802 pays $31.55 in Rest of Maryland and $34.90 in the DC locality, a gap of $3.35 per unit or $13.40 on a one-hour initial visit. The middle of the state's range is about 4.7% above the national amount.

What Medicare pays a dietitian per unit in Maryland

Locality Counties 97802 97803 G0270
DC locality (Montgomery and Prince George's counties) See locality $34.90 $30.17 $30.17
Baltimore and surrounding counties Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Baltimore City, Carroll, Harford and Howard $32.70 $28.26 $28.26
Rest of Maryland All other counties, except Montgomery and Prince George's $31.55 $27.24 $27.24

Each amount is what Medicare pays the dietitian for one 15-minute unit in an office or other non-facility setting, after the 85% MNT rule. Localities are sorted from the highest 97802 rate to the lowest.

Full fee schedule and facility amounts

The table above is the dietitian's 85%. Here is the full Physician Fee Schedule amount behind it, and the lower amount Medicare pays when the visit happens in a facility setting such as a hospital outpatient department.

Locality 97802 full PFS 97803 and G0270 full PFS 97802 dietitian, facility 97803 and G0270 dietitian, facility
DC locality (Montgomery and Prince George's counties) $41.06 $35.49 $24.54 $20.47
Baltimore and surrounding counties $38.47 $33.25 $23.26 $19.42
Rest of Maryland $37.12 $32.05 $22.64 $18.91

What a visit pays in Maryland

Medicare MNT is billed in 15-minute units. A one-hour initial assessment is 4 units of 97802, a 30-minute follow-up is 2 units of 97803 (or G0270 after a new referral for a change in condition), and a patient's first-year benefit is 3 hours, which you could bill as the 4-unit assessment plus 8 units of follow-ups. The MNT units calculator turns minutes into units.

Locality 1-hour initial (97802 x 4) 30-minute follow-up (97803 x 2) All 3 first-year hours
DC locality (Montgomery and Prince George's counties) $139.60 $60.34 $380.96
Baltimore and surrounding counties $130.80 $56.52 $356.88
Rest of Maryland $126.20 $54.48 $344.12

The rows are the highest-paying locality, the middle one, and the lowest-paying one. Every locality's rates are in the tables above and in the CSV download.

How the Maryland numbers are built

Take Baltimore and surrounding counties, whose 2026 GPCIs are 1.016 for work, 1.073 for practice expense and 1.237 for malpractice. For 97802 in an office: (0.53 x 1.016) + (0.56 x 1.073) + (0.01 x 1.237) = 1.15173 RVUs. Times the 2026 conversion factor of $33.4009 that is $38.47, and 85% of it is $32.70. The RVUs come from the CMS PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv file and the GPCIs from GPCI2026.csv; the full method is in the report.

Before you bill Medicare MNT in Maryland

These rates only apply when the visit qualifies: a registered dietitian or nutrition professional enrolled in Medicare, a beneficiary with diabetes or kidney disease not treated with dialysis (or within 36 months of a kidney transplant), and a referral from the treating physician. The Medicare MNT coverage guide covers enrollment, hour limits and referrals, and Medicare coverage for nutrition counseling explains what the patient's benefit includes. For code rules, see CPT 97802, CPT 97803 and G0270 and G0271.

Closest to Maryland on the 97802 rate: Connecticut ($32.82) and Virginia ($30.87 to $34.90). Every state is in the 2026 report.

The insurance claim section of a visit in Duo Practice, with CPT 97802, diagnosis Z71.3, session minutes and units.
The claim for a test visit in Duo Practice: CPT 97802, Z71.3, and units worked out from the session's minutes. You check it against the chart and press Submit. Try Duo Practice free

Sources

  1. CMS PFS Relative Value Files, RVU26D (October 2026 release; PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, released Aug 26, 2026)
  2. CMS GPCI2026.csv, Addendum E: final CY 2026 GPCIs by locality (in RVU26D)
  3. eCFR: 42 CFR 414.64, payment for medical nutrition therapy (85% of the PFS amount)
  4. eCFR: 42 CFR 410.130, MNT definitions (who furnishes it, for which conditions)
  5. CMS NCD 180.1, Medical Nutrition Therapy
  6. eCFR: 42 CFR 410.152(l), Part B pays 100% for MNT
  7. CMS MLN901705, Telehealth & Remote Patient Monitoring (home telehealth paid at the non-facility rate)

Sources checked . Payer rules change; verify the member's benefits.

Frequently asked questions

Is a telehealth MNT visit in Maryland paid at these rates?

When the patient is at home, yes: CMS pays telehealth to the home at the non-facility rate (MLN901705), so a 30-minute telehealth follow-up in Maryland pays $54.48 to $60.34, the same as in the office. Use the facility column only when the visit happens in a facility setting.

Does the patient pay part of the Maryland amount?

No. Medicare Part B pays 100% of the MNT payment amount and the Part B deductible does not apply (42 CFR 410.152(l) and 410.160(b)), so for a qualifying patient Medicare pays the whole $126.20 to $139.60 of a one-hour initial visit.

Part of Medicare MNT.

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