Billing code 97802: Medical nutrition therapyMedicare rate & RVUs in Alaska
Reports an initial, face-to-face individual nutrition assessment and intervention, provided by a qualified nutrition professional and counted in 15-minute units.
Medicare pays $46.66 for 97802 in the office in Alaska (Alaska*). Which amount applies depends on the service address.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
On this page 9 sections
What 97802 covers
An initial individual MNT service combines nutrition assessment with tailored intervention: the practitioner evaluates relevant dietary patterns and nutrition needs, then develops or begins a plan with the patient. Registered dietitians and other qualified nutrition professionals commonly provide it in outpatient offices, clinics, or other settings where the patient receives face-to-face counseling. Common referrals involve nutrition management for diabetes, kidney disease, or other conditions affected by diet; the diagnosis and practitioner’s scope determine the clinical focus.
Choose 97802 for the initial assessment-and-intervention service, rather than later individual reassessment and intervention (97803) or group counseling (97804). Report the documented face-to-face service in 15-minute units. The note should identify the nutrition assessment, individualized plan or counseling delivered, patient participation, and time. CMS assigns separate office and facility practice-expense values in the Physician Fee Schedule, so use the setting that matches where the service was furnished.
This summary was written with AI assistance from CMS physician fee schedule data and checked against the CMS billing rules shown here. Rates on this page come directly from CMS files.
97802 in Alaska*
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska* | $46.66 | $35.63 |
How the 97802 rate is calculated
Each of 97802’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.
How the rate is built · 97802
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 0.53Practice expense 0.56Malpractice 0.01
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 97802
97802 has no global surgery period, no multiple-procedure, bilateral or assistant-at-surgery adjustment, and no professional/technical split. What changes the payment is where the service happens: the place of service on the claim decides whether Medicare pays the office or the facility rate.
Place of service · 97802
Which rate does Medicare pay?
The POS code on the claim line (CMS-1500 box 24B).
Non-facility (office) rate · national
$36.74
The facility rate would be $26.39 (+$10.35). In a facility, the facility bills its own costs separately.
97802 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
97802 vs 97803 vs 97804 vs G0270: national Medicare rates
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How to choose
- 97803Nutrition therapy
- Use 97802 for initial individual assessment and intervention; use 97803 for subsequent individual reassessment and intervention.
- 97804Group nutrition therapy
- 97804 reports group MNT. Choose 97802 when the patient receives the nutrition assessment and intervention individually.
- G0270Nutrition therapy
- G0270 is a Medicare code for qualifying individual MNT reassessment after a change in condition or treatment; 97802 describes the initial individual service.
97802 billing questions
How is 97802 different from 97803?
97802 is for the initial individual nutrition assessment and intervention. Use 97803 for subsequent individual reassessment and intervention.
When should 97804 be used instead?
97804 is the group MNT code. Use 97802 when the nutrition assessment and intervention are provided individually to the patient.
How are units reported?
The service is reported in 15-minute units. Document the face-to-face time and the nutrition assessment and intervention provided.
What documentation supports 97802?
Document the nutrition needs assessed, the individualized counseling or plan delivered, the patient's participation, and the face-to-face time.
Can 97802 be reported with an office E/M service?
The MNT service represents individualized nutrition assessment and intervention. A separate E/M service must reflect distinct, separately documented evaluation and management work.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.
CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027
Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
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