Nutrition counseling cost in Boston, MA — inpatient
In Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, 7 hospitals list a cash price for nutrition counseling (medical nutrition therapy), first visit, 15 minutes as an inpatient: from $54.40 to $430.00, with a median of $77.00. The lowest listed price is at Boston Medical Center Brighton — $22.60 less than the median here. Across Massachusetts, the median is $119.00 at 17 hospitals.
Cash prices at 7 facilities across 5 cities for code 97802, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between — and —.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Medical Center Brighton lowest Boston, MA · (617) 789-3000 HC Medical Nutrition Assmt&Ivntj Indiv Each 15 Mi | $54.40 | $120.88 | $28.70–$475.07 | 55% | — source file |
| Tufts Medical Center Boston, MA · (617) 636-5000 Hosp Medical Nutrition Therapy Individual Initial | $61.60 | $88.00 | $23.11–$150.14 | 30% | — source file |
| Boston Medical Center South Brockton, MA · (508) 427-3000 HC Medical Nutrition Assmt&Ivntj Indiv Each 15 Mi | $63.23 | $140.52 | $28.70–$394.86 | 55% | — source file |
| Melrosewakefield Healthcare Melrose, MA · (781) 979-3000 Hosp Medical Nutrition Therapy Individual Initial | $77.00 | $110.00 | $38.50–$530.75 | 30% | — source file |
| Melrosewakefield Healthcare Melrose, MA · (781) 979-3000 Hosp Medical Nutrition Therapy Individual Initial | $79.80 | $114.00 | $39.90–$530.75 | 30% | — source file |
| Lowell General Hospital Lowell, MA · (978) 937-6000 Hosp Medical Nutrition Therapy Individual Initial | $94.50 | $135.00 | $47.25–$135.00 | 30% | — source file |
| Lowell General Hospital Lowell, MA · (978) 937-6000 Hosp Medical Nutrition Therapy Individual Initial | $104.30 | $149.00 | $52.15–$149.00 | 30% | — source file |
| Tufts Medical Center Boston, MA · (617) 636-5000 Hosp Medical Nutrition Therapy Individual Initial | $105.00 | $150.00 | $39.39–$150.14 | 30% | — source file |
| Boston Medical Center Boston, MA · (617) 638-8000 HC Medical Nutrition Assmt&Ivntj Indiv Each 15 Mi | $127.80 | $284.00 | $28.70–$512.54 | 55% | — source file |
| Cambridge Health Alliance Cambridge, MA · (617) 665-1000 HC New Nutr. Visit 15 Min | $430.00 | $430.00 | $131.00–$430.00 | — | — source file |
| Cambridge Health Alliance Cambridge, MA · (617) 665-1000 HC Nutritional Therapy Initial Indiv Each 15 Mins | $430.00 | $430.00 | $25.60–$430.00 | — | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $54.40, median $77.00, highest $430.00 — a 7.9× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 7 facilities here, median $77.00 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 6 of 7 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it below every plan's rate. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
Medical nutrition therapy is counseling by a registered dietitian for conditions such as diabetes and kidney disease.
What the price covers
The price is for one 15-minute unit; a session usually includes several units and codes.