Medicare MNT rates · Medicare rate
Medicare MNT payment rates in Virginia, 2026
By Javier Alvarez · Updated · 2 min read
| 97802, dietitian paid per unit | $30.87 to $34.90 |
|---|---|
| 97803, dietitian paid per unit | $26.65 to $30.17 |
| G0270, dietitian paid per unit | $26.65 to $30.17 |
| 1-hour initial visit (97802 x 4) | $123.48 to $139.60 |
| Payment localities | 2 |
| MAC contractor number | 11302 |
| National 97802 rate, for comparison | $31.23 |
| Data | CMS RVU26D, released Aug 26, 2026 |
Virginia has two Medicare payment localities: its own statewide one and the DC locality, which covers Alexandria city, Arlington, Fairfax, Fairfax city and Falls Church city. In 2026 a unit of 97802 pays $30.87 in the statewide locality and $34.90 in the DC locality, a gap of $4.03 per unit or $16.12 on a one-hour initial visit. The middle of the state's range is about 5.3% above the national amount.
What Medicare pays a dietitian per unit in Virginia
| Locality | Counties | 97802 | 97803 | G0270 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DC locality (Alexandria city, Arlington, Fairfax, Fairfax city and Falls Church city) | See locality | $34.90 | $30.17 | $30.17 |
| Virginia | All Counties, Except Alexandria City, Arlington, Fairfax, Fairfax City, and Falls Church City | $30.87 | $26.65 | $26.65 |
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 (Alexandria city, Arlington, Fairfax, Fairfax city and Falls Church city) | $41.06 | $35.49 | $24.54 | $20.47 |
| Virginia | $36.32 | $31.35 | $22.23 | $18.56 |
What a visit pays in Virginia
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 (Alexandria city, Arlington, Fairfax, Fairfax city and Falls Church city) | $139.60 | $60.34 | $380.96 |
| Virginia | $123.48 | $53.30 | $336.68 |
The rows are the highest-paying locality, and the lowest-paying one. Every locality's rates are in the tables above and in the CSV download.
How the Virginia numbers are built
Take Virginia, whose 2026 GPCIs are 1.000 for work, 0.983 for practice expense and 0.706 for malpractice. For 97802 in an office: (0.53 x 1.000) + (0.56 x 0.983) + (0.01 x 0.706) = 1.08754 RVUs. Times the 2026 conversion factor of $33.4009 that is $36.32, and 85% of it is $30.87. 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 Virginia
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 Virginia on the 97802 rate: Connecticut ($32.82) and Maryland ($31.55 to $34.90). Every state is in the 2026 report.
