MNT units calculator
By Javier Alvarez · Updated · 4 min read
| 97802 / 97803 unit | 15 minutes |
|---|---|
| 97804 unit | 30 minutes, per patient |
| First 15-minute unit | 8 minutes |
| First 30-minute unit | 16 minutes |
| Medicare MNT hours | 3 the first calendar year, 2 each year after |
Units are where most nutrition claims quietly lose money. A 52-minute follow-up billed as 2 units "to be safe" leaves a unit on the table; a 50-minute visit stretched to 4 units is an audit finding waiting to happen. This calculator turns documented minutes into units for every time-based MNT code and shows the whole threshold table, so you can see exactly where the next unit starts.
How to use the calculator
- Pick the code. 97802 for the initial assessment, 97803 for follow-ups, 97804 for group MNT. The Medicare-only reassessment codes G0270 (individual) and G0271 (group) are there too.
- Enter the face-to-face minutes, or switch to Start and end and type the clock times from your note.
- Read the units and the range that bills that many. The highlighted row in the table is your visit.
- Copy the result into your note or claim worksheet. The copied line includes the code, units and minutes, so the claim and the note say the same thing.
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The rule behind it
MNT codes describe time, not visits. 97802 and 97803 are each "15 minutes"; 97804 is "30 minutes" per patient in a group of two or more. You bill one line with a unit count that matches the documented face-to-face time.
The CPT time rule says a unit is attained once you pass the midpoint of the unit. Half of 15 minutes is 7.5, so:
| Face-to-face minutes | Units of 97802 / 97803 / G0270 |
|---|---|
| 0 to 7 | 0 (not billable) |
| 8 to 22 | 1 |
| 23 to 37 | 2 |
| 38 to 52 | 3 |
| 53 to 67 | 4 |
| 68 to 82 | 5 |
| 83 to 97 | 6 |
For the 30-minute group codes the midpoint is 15, so the first unit starts at 16 minutes:
| Group minutes | Units of 97804 / G0271 (per patient) |
|---|---|
| 0 to 15 | 0 |
| 16 to 45 | 1 |
| 46 to 75 | 2 |
| 76 to 105 | 3 |
You may have heard this called the "8-minute rule." Medicare's version, written for timed therapy codes in Chapter 5 of the Claims Processing Manual, adds up all timed minutes on a date and divides by 15. With a single MNT code on the claim, it lands on the same numbers as the table above. Our 8-minute rule guide walks through worked examples.
What counts as billable time
Count only face-to-face MNT time: live interaction with the patient, in person or over real-time video. That includes the assessment, education, goal setting and answering questions during the visit.
It does not include charting after the visit, scheduling or reminder calls, reviewing the referral or labs before the session, or time waiting for the patient to connect. Write the time in every note, either as start and stop times or as total face-to-face minutes, so the units on the claim are defensible in both directions.
Medicare vs commercial plans
Medicare. Part B covers MNT for diabetes and renal disease with a physician referral: 3 hours in the first calendar year and 2 hours each year after, per NCD 180.1. Unused hours don't carry over. More hours in the same year need a second referral for a change in diagnosis, medical condition or treatment regimen, and are billed as G0270 or G0271, as Noridian explains. Medicare also applies Medically Unlikely Edits, a per-code cap on units per day; check the current MUE table before a long visit.
Commercial plans. Most follow the same midpoint logic for MNT, but the plan decides how many units it pays. Some cap units per visit or per day, some count visits per year instead of units, and some pay preventive nutrition counseling under different codes entirely. A cap always beats the table: a plan that pays 4 units pays 4 for a 90-minute visit. Verify the member's benefits before long initial assessments.
Worked examples
- A 52-minute follow-up: 97803 × 3. At 53 minutes it would be 4, but bill the time that actually happened.
- A 90-minute initial assessment: 97802 × 6, if the plan allows 6 units on one date. Many don't, which is why you check before the visit.
- A 20-minute check-in: 97803 × 1. Short visits are billable.
- A 60-minute group class with 6 patients: 97804 × 2 on each patient's claim.
- A 7-minute phone call: 0 units.