Nutrition counseling cost in Houston, TX — inpatient
In Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX, 2 hospitals list a cash price for nutrition counseling (medical nutrition therapy), first visit, 15 minutes as an inpatient: from $32.16 to $78.50, with a median of $55.33. The lowest listed price is at Texas Children's Hospital — $23.17 less than the median here. Across Texas, the median is $67.10 at 79 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities for code 97802, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 5, 2026 and Apr 1, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Children's Hospital lowest Houston, TX · (832) 824-1000 TC MEDICAL NUTRITION THERAPY INITIAL - 15 MIN | $32.16 | $48.00 | $19.20–$45.60 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital lowest Houston, TX · (832) 824-1000 TC MEDICAL NUTRITION THERAPY, INITIAL ASSESS, INDVID, FACE TO FACE, EA 15 MIN | $32.16 | $48.00 | $19.20–$45.60 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital lowest Houston, TX · (832) 824-1000 TC MFM MEDICAL NUTRITION THERAPY, INITIAL ASSESS, INDVID, FACE TO FACE, EA 15 MIN | $32.16 | $48.00 | $19.20–$45.60 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital lowest Houston, TX · (832) 824-1000 TC MEDICAL NUTRITION THERAPY INITIAL - 15 MIN | $32.16 | $48.00 | $19.20–$45.60 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital lowest Houston, TX · (832) 824-1000 TC MEDICAL NUTRITION THERAPY, INITIAL ASSESS, INDVID, FACE TO FACE, EA 15 MIN | $32.16 | $48.00 | $19.20–$45.60 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital lowest Houston, TX · (832) 824-1000 TC MFM MEDICAL NUTRITION THERAPY, INITIAL ASSESS, INDVID, FACE TO FACE, EA 15 MIN | $32.16 | $48.00 | $19.20–$45.60 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital lowest Houston, TX · (832) 824-1000 TC MEDICAL NUTRITION THERAPY INITIAL - 15 MIN | $32.16 | $48.00 | $19.20–$45.60 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital lowest Houston, TX · (832) 824-1000 TC MEDICAL NUTRITION THERAPY, INITIAL ASSESS, INDVID, FACE TO FACE, EA 15 MIN | $32.16 | $48.00 | $19.20–$45.60 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital lowest Houston, TX · (832) 824-1000 TC MFM MEDICAL NUTRITION THERAPY, INITIAL ASSESS, INDVID, FACE TO FACE, EA 15 MIN | $32.16 | $48.00 | $19.20–$45.60 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| The Methodist Hospital Houston, TX · (713) 790-2221 HC MED NUTR OR BARI INDIV INITIAL EA 15MIN - WM | $78.50 | $157.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $32.16, median $55.33, highest $78.50 — a 2.4× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $32.16 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. 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.