MNT (medical nutrition therapy)
DefinitionNutrition assessment, nutrition diagnosis and counseling by a registered dietitian to manage a medical condition, billed with CPT 97802-97804.
Medical nutrition therapy is the billable, disease-focused side of dietetics: you assess the patient, name the nutrition problem, intervene and follow up. On a claim it is reported with three CPT codes: 97802 (initial visit), 97803 (follow-ups) and 97804 (groups), all time-based.
What counts as covered MNT depends on who is paying:
- Medicare Part B defines MNT narrowly, as nutrition diagnostic, therapeutic and counseling services by a registered dietitian or nutrition professional to manage diabetes or renal disease, and only with a physician referral (42 CFR 410.130-410.132).
- Commercial plans write their own policies. Aetna, for example, lists chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, eating disorders and GI disorders, plus preventive counseling for obesity (Aetna CPB 0049).
- The same visit can process under the plan's preventive benefit or its medical benefit, depending on the plan and the diagnosis codes on the claim.
In practice, "is MNT covered?" is always a question about one member's plan. Verify benefits before the first visit, code the diagnosis the referring provider documented, and make sure the note shows face-to-face minutes that support the units you bill.