CPT® code 97802 is used to report an initial medical nutrition therapy (MNT) assessment and intervention provided face-to-face with an individual patient, lasting approximately 15 minutes. This service is typically delivered by registered dietitians or qualified healthcare professionals to help patients manage chronic conditions or improve nutritional status through personalized counseling.
What is CPT Code 97802?
CPT 97802 describes the first encounter in a series of medical nutrition therapy sessions focused on evaluating the patient’s nutritional needs, medical history, and lifestyle factors. The provider develops an individualized nutrition care plan aimed at improving health outcomes.
Key components of this service include:
- Comprehensive assessment of dietary intake, lifestyle, and medical conditions
- Identification of nutritional problems and barriers to dietary adherence
- Education on dietary modifications, meal planning, and behavior change strategies
- Goal setting to improve or manage medical conditions such as diabetes, obesity, or cardiovascular disease
This therapy plays a vital role in chronic disease management and prevention by empowering patients to make sustainable nutritional changes.
When to Use CPT Code 97802
Use CPT 97802 for the initial MNT visit lasting at least 15 minutes, when the provider performs a comprehensive assessment and develops a care plan. Follow-up visits are billed separately under CPT codes 97803 or 97804.
Documentation should include:
- Detailed nutritional assessment and patient history
- Description of dietary recommendations and interventions provided
- Patient education and counseling content
- Time spent face-to-face with the patient
- Planned follow-up and reassessment schedule
Coding Considerations
- CPT 97802 is intended for individual patients; group sessions have separate codes.
- The service must be medically necessary and support a diagnosis related to nutrition or diet.
- Documentation of time is critical to justify the code level.
- This code may be used in various settings, including outpatient clinics, wellness centers, and integrative medicine practices.
CPT 97802 and Chronic Disease Nutrition Management
Medical nutrition therapy is increasingly recognized as an effective intervention for managing diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and other chronic diseases. Early and individualized nutrition counseling can reduce complications, improve quality of life, and lower healthcare costs.
Providers should maintain thorough documentation to support medical necessity and ensure appropriate reimbursement.
Optimize Nutrition Therapy with OptiMantra
For practices offering medical nutrition therapy, OptiMantra streamlines documentation, coding, and billing processes by providing:
- Customized templates for initial and follow-up MNT visits
- Coding CPT 97802 linked to patient diagnosis codes
- Tools to document detailed nutrition assessments and intervention plans
- Integration of MNT services with overall care management workflows
- Simplified claims submission and tracking for nutrition therapy services
With OptiMantra, healthcare teams can efficiently deliver personalized nutrition care that supports better patient outcomes while maximizing reimbursement.
Try OptiMantra for free here!
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