CPT 97802 (initial MNT assessment)
DefinitionThe CPT code for a patient's first MNT visit: initial nutrition assessment and intervention, one patient, face to face, per 15 minutes.
97802 is the code for the first individual MNT encounter with a new patient. It is time-based, reported in 15-minute units of face-to-face time.
Medicare's billing instructions are explicit: 97802 is used only once, for the initial assessment of a new patient, and every later individual visit (reassessments and interventions) is billed as 97803, while group visits are billed as 97804 (CMS Claims Processing Manual, Ch. 4, §300.4). Most commercial payers follow the same initial-then-follow-up logic, and a second 97802 for the same patient is a common edit.
Things to get right on a 97802 line:
- Units match the face-to-face minutes in the note (see the 8-minute rule).
- Diagnosis pointer links the line to a diagnosis the payer covers for MNT.
- Place of service and modifier reflect an in-person or telehealth visit.
- For Medicare, the referring physician's NPI is on the claim.
Charting time after the visit is not part of the billable minutes.