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Which CPT code do I bill? A code finder for dietitians

The short answerBill 97802 for the first medical nutrition therapy visit, 97803 for every individual follow-up and 97804 for a group, each in time units: 15 minutes for 97802 and 97803 (a unit counts from 8 minutes), 30 minutes per patient for 97804. Original Medicare adds G0270 (individual) and G0271 (group) only for extra hours after a second referral in the same year. On video, use POS 10 (patient at home) or 02 (elsewhere) with modifier 95 unless the plan says otherwise.

By Javier Alvarez · Updated · 5 min read

First visit97802, per 15 minutes, once per patient
Follow-up97803, per 15 minutes
Group (2 or more)97804, per 30 minutes, on each patient's claim
Medicare extra hoursG0270 individual (15 min) / G0271 group (30 min), after a second referral in the same year
TelehealthPOS 10 at home, POS 02 elsewhere, modifier 95 for most payers
Medicare MNT diagnosesDiabetes and kidney disease (GFR 15-59, or post-transplant) only

Most nutrition claims that deny for a coding reason get one of four things wrong: the code (a second 97802), the units, the telehealth place of service and modifier, or the diagnosis order. This finder answers all four for one visit at a time, and the reference tables below cover every MNT code so you can check a claim without the tool. For the full story on each code, read 97802 vs 97803.

How to use the finder

  1. Pick the visit: the first MNT visit, a follow-up, a group class, or Medicare hours after a second referral.
  2. Pick who pays and where the visit happened. Medicare, Medicare Advantage, commercial plans, Medicaid and cash-pay superbills each change something on the claim.
  3. Type the face-to-face minutes from the note and pick the main condition.
  4. Read the claim line: the code and units, the place of service, the modifier, the diagnosis order and what to check before you send it. Copy claim line puts it on your clipboard.

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Every MNT code at a glance

Code What it is Unit Who pays it
97802 MNT initial assessment and intervention, individual, face-to-face 15 min Medicare and the plans that cover MNT
97803 MNT re-assessment and intervention, individual, face-to-face 15 min Same as 97802
97804 MNT, group of 2 or more 30 min, per patient Medicare; commercial plans that cover group MNT
G0270 MNT reassessment after a second referral in the same year (change in diagnosis, condition or treatment), individual 15 min Original Medicare and plans that follow it
G0271 Same as G0270, group of 2 or more 30 min Original Medicare and plans that follow it

The descriptors are paraphrased from CPT and HCPCS; CMS lists the codes and how to use them in Chapter 4, Section 300 of the Claims Processing Manual. Each code has its own page: 97802, 97803, 97804 and G0270/G0271. A few plans use other codes, such as S9470 (some Medicaid programs, per visit) or 99401-99404 (preventive counseling, not paid by Medicare); bill those only when the plan asks for them.

Units: minutes to billable units

MNT codes describe time, not visits. Under CPT's time rule, a unit counts once you pass its midpoint: 8 minutes for a 15-minute code, 16 minutes for a 30-minute code. The 15-minute table is the same one Medicare publishes for timed codes in Chapter 5, Section 20.2, often called the 8-minute rule.

Face-to-face minutes 97802 / 97803 / G0270 Face-to-face minutes 97804 / G0271 (per patient)
Under 8 0 (not billable) Under 16 0 (not billable)
8 to 22 1 16 to 45 1
23 to 37 2 46 to 75 2
38 to 52 3 76 to 105 3
53 to 67 4 106 to 135 4
68 to 82 5

Only face-to-face time counts, in person or on live video; charting after the visit does not. Some commercial plans count full units only or cap units per visit, so the plan's policy wins. The MNT units calculator shows the full threshold table for any visit length.

Telehealth: place of service and modifier

Where the patient is POS Modifier
In your office 11 None
At home, on live video 10 95
Somewhere else, on live video 02 95
Plan still asks for the older modifier Per plan GT

97802, 97803, 97804 and G0270 are on Medicare's 2026 telehealth list, and registered dietitians are eligible Medicare telehealth practitioners. G0271 is not on the list. CMS's claims manual pairs POS 02 or 10 with modifier 95 for audio-video visits, and pays POS 10 at the non-facility rate. Under the current extension, Medicare patients can get telehealth at home through December 31, 2027, and from January 1, 2027 Medicare also requires modifier BB (a contracted virtual platform) or BC (incident-to) on the claims those apply to. Commercial plans and Medicaid set their own telehealth rules; more in telehealth billing for dietitians.

Diagnosis codes that go with MNT

Condition Typical diagnosis order Original Medicare MNT?
Type 2 diabetes E11.x first; add E66.x + Z68.xx if weight is documented Yes, with an MD/DO referral
Chronic kidney disease N18.30-N18.4 (code E11.22 first if diabetic CKD); Z94.0 after a transplant Yes, GFR 15-59, ESRD not on dialysis, or 36 months after a transplant
Prediabetes R73.03, E66.x + Z68.xx if documented, Z71.3 No
Overweight or obesity E66.x first, then Z68.xx, Z71.3 No
High cholesterol or blood pressure E78.x or I10, Z71.3 No

Three rules hold everywhere. A BMI code (Z68) is secondary only and needs a weight diagnosis next to it; it isn't coded in pregnancy. Z71.3 describes the visit; on its own, many plans process the claim as preventive or deny it. And a plan's coverage for a diagnosis, not the code set, decides whether the visit pays. Z71.3 and the Z68 BMI codes has the full ordering rules, and the BMI to Z68 finder picks the BMI code.

Medicare MNT in five lines

Medicare MNT coverage explains each rule with its source.

The traps that deny MNT claims

Trap What happens The fix
97802 billed a second time Denied as a frequency or duplicate Bill 97803 for every visit after the first
Units copied from the last visit Units don't match the note; recoupment in an audit Units from this visit's documented minutes
Z68 first or alone Rejected or denied Weight diagnosis first, BMI after it
Medicare claim for obesity or prediabetes only Denied as not reasonable and necessary ABN before the visit, modifier GA
No referring NPI on a Medicare claim Returned as unprocessable Referring MD/DO's name and NPI on the claim
POS and modifier disagree on a video visit Denied or paid at the wrong rate POS 10 or 02 with 95, or the plan's own rule
G0271 on a telehealth claim Not payable as Medicare telehealth Group extra hours in person

If a claim already came back, paste the code into the denial checker to see what it means and how to fix it.

Sources

  1. CMS: Medicare Claims Processing Manual, Chapter 4, Section 300 (MNT codes, units, referrals)
  2. CMS: Medicare Claims Processing Manual, Chapter 5, Section 20.2 (minutes to 15-minute units)
  3. CMS: Change Request 13582, Claims Processing Manual Chapter 12 (POS 02/10 with modifier 95)
  4. CMS: List of Medicare Telehealth Services, CY 2026
  5. CMS: Telehealth FAQ (home as originating site through Dec 31, 2027; modifiers BB/BC from Jan 1, 2027)
  6. CMS MLN901705: Telehealth & Remote Patient Monitoring (December 2025)
  7. CMS: Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, Chapter 15, Section 270 (telehealth; points to Claims Processing Manual ch. 12 §190)
  8. eCFR: 42 CFR 410.130 (MNT definitions: diabetes, renal disease, physician)
  9. eCFR: 42 CFR 410.152(l) (no Medicare cost sharing for MNT)
  10. CMS: ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, FY2027
  11. CMS: Physician Fee Schedule look-up tool (allowed amounts by locality)
  12. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Coding and billing

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

Frequently asked questions

Which CPT code does a dietitian use for the first visit?

97802, medical nutrition therapy initial assessment and intervention, individual, face-to-face, per 15 minutes. CMS's manual says it is only for the initial assessment of a new patient; every individual visit after it is 97803, and every group visit is 97804. Most commercial plans also pay 97802 once per patient.

How many units do I bill for a 60-minute initial visit?

Four units of 97802. A unit of a 15-minute code counts once you pass its midpoint (8 minutes), so 53 to 67 minutes is 4 units. Some commercial plans count full 15-minute units only or cap units per visit, so check the plan's policy.

When do I use G0270 instead of 97803?

Only for Original Medicare (and Medicare Advantage plans that follow it), when the treating physician makes a second referral in the same calendar year for a change in diagnosis, medical condition or treatment and you are providing hours beyond the base benefit (3 hours the first year, 2 hours each year after). Inside the base hours, bill 97803. G0271 is the group version, per 30 minutes.

Which modifier and place of service do I use for telehealth MNT?

POS 10 when the patient is at home and POS 02 when they are somewhere else, paired with modifier 95 for a live audio-video visit; that is how CMS's claims manual describes Medicare telehealth, and most commercial plans ask for 95 too. A few plans still want GT, or POS 11 with 95, so follow the plan's telehealth policy. From January 1, 2027, Medicare also requires modifier BB or BC on some telehealth claims.

Is G0271 covered by Medicare telehealth?

No. 97802, 97803, 97804 and G0270 are on the CY 2026 Medicare telehealth services list; G0271 is not. Bill group MNT after a second referral in person.

Which diagnosis codes go with 97802 and 97803?

The condition you treat goes first: E11.x for type 2 diabetes, N18.3x or N18.4 for chronic kidney disease, R73.03 for prediabetes, E66.x for overweight or obesity, E78.x or I10 for cholesterol or blood pressure. Add the BMI code (Z68.xx) only after a weight diagnosis, never alone, and Z71.3 (dietary counseling) as the encounter code where the plan accepts it. Coverage for each diagnosis varies by plan.

Does Medicare pay for MNT for obesity or prediabetes?

Not as Medicare MNT. The benefit covers diabetes, chronic kidney disease (GFR 15 to 59) or end-stage renal disease when the patient is not on dialysis, and the 36 months after a kidney transplant, on a referral from an MD or DO. For other diagnoses, give the patient a signed ABN before the visit and bill with modifier GA.

What codes go on a superbill for a cash-pay client?

The same ones an in-network claim would carry: 97802 or 97803 with units, the ICD-10 codes in order, the place of service and modifier, your NPI, tax ID and charge. The client sends it to their plan for out-of-network reimbursement.

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