Nutrition counseling cost in Madison, WI
In Madison, WI, 2 hospitals list a cash price for nutrition counseling (medical nutrition therapy), first visit, 15 minutes: from $61.60 to $97.50, with a median of $79.55. The lowest listed price is at UnityPoint Health - Meriter — $17.95 less than the median here. Across Wisconsin, the median is $57.50 at 62 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities across 2 cities for code 97802, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 28, 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 Madison, WI.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UnityPoint Health - Meriter lowest Madison, WI · (608) 417-6210 PR MED NUTR THER, 1ST, INDIV, EA 15 MIN | $61.60 | $77.00 | $17.71–$131.10 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus Divine Savior Hospital Portage, WI · (608) 742-4131 MEDICAL NUTRITION ASSMT&IVNTJ INDIV EACH 15 MI | $97.50 | $150.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus Divine Savior Hospital Portage, WI · (608) 742-4131 Fac Medical Nutrition, Indiv, In | $97.50 | $150.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Meriter Madison, WI · (608) 417-6210 HC INIT NUTRITION THERAPY; EACH 15M | $99.52 | $124.40 | $28.61–$118.18 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $61.60, median $79.55, highest $97.50 — a 1.6× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $79.55. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
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.