Billing code 97804: Group nutrition therapyMedicare rate & RVUs in Washington
Report group medical nutrition therapy when a qualified nutrition professional provides structured nutrition counseling to multiple patients in a shared session.
Medicare pays $17.51–$19.29 for 97804 in the office in Washington, from Rest Of Washington to Seattle (King Cnty). 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 97804 covers
This service covers nutrition counseling delivered to two or more patients together by a registered dietitian or other qualified nutrition professional. The session may address topics such as meal planning, nutrition-related health goals, and strategies for managing a condition through diet. It is distinct from a one-to-one nutrition assessment or follow-up, even when the subject matter is similar.
Report the service in 30-minute units for each patient who participates in the group session. Documentation should support the session duration, group format, nutrition topics addressed, and each patient’s attendance and participation. Choose the individual nutrition therapy codes when the professional provides one-to-one care rather than a shared session. Under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, this code has work, practice expense, and malpractice RVUs; the practice expense RVU differs between office and facility settings.
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.
Where 97804 pays more and less in Washington
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rest Of Washington | $17.51 | $12.58 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | $19.29 | $13.55 |
How the 97804 rate is calculated
Each of 97804’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 · 97804
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 0.25Practice expense 0.25Malpractice 0.01
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 97804
97804 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 · 97804
Which rate does Medicare pay?
The POS code on the claim line (CMS-1500 box 24B).
Non-facility (office) rate · national
$17.03
The facility rate would be $12.36 (+$4.67). In a facility, the facility bills its own costs separately.
97804 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
97804 vs 97802 vs 97803 vs G0271: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 97802Medical nutrition therapy
- Use 97802 for an initial one-to-one nutrition therapy service. Use 97804 when two or more patients receive counseling together.
- 97803Nutrition therapy
- Use 97803 for subsequent individual nutrition therapy. A shared group session is reported with 97804 instead.
- G0271Group nutrition therapy
- G0271 describes group nutrition therapy for qualifying additional services following a change in condition, diagnosis, or treatment regimen; 97804 is the general group service code.
97804 billing questions
How does 97804 differ from 97802 or 97803?
97804 is for nutrition therapy provided in a group of two or more patients. Use 97802 for an initial individual service and 97803 for a subsequent individual service.
How many patients are needed for a group session?
The service is group therapy for two or more patients. A one-to-one session belongs under an individual nutrition therapy code.
How should units be reported?
The service is measured in 30-minute units for each participating patient. Document the session duration and each patient’s attendance.
What documentation supports 97804?
Record the group format, date and duration, nutrition topics or counseling provided, and the individual patient’s participation.
Can a modifier turn an individual session into group therapy?
No. The code selection follows how the service was delivered: shared counseling for multiple patients versus one-to-one nutrition therapy.
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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