Nutrition counseling cost in St. Louis, MO
In St. Louis, MO-IL, 11 hospitals list a cash price for nutrition counseling (medical nutrition therapy), first visit, 15 minutes: from $24.05 to $116.65, with a median of $38.16. The lowest listed price is at Mercy Hospital St Louis and 2 other hospitals — $14.11 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $40.30 at 27 hospitals.
Cash prices at 11 facilities across 9 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 Jun 12, 2026 and Jun 12, 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 St. Louis, MO-IL.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy Hospital St Louis lowest Saint Louis, MO Med Nutrition Therapy Ea 15m Mlp | $24.05 | $37.00 | $25.62–$65.60 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln lowest Troy, MO · (636) 528-8551 Med Nutrition Therapy Ea 15m Mlp | $24.05 | $37.00 | $2.41–$37.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Jefferson lowest Festus, MO Med Nutrition Therapy Ea 15m Mlp | $24.05 | $37.00 | $25.62–$65.60 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital South Saint Louis, MO · (314) 525-1000 Med Nutrition Therapy Ea 15m | $27.30 | $42.00 | $2.73–$42.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Troy, MO · (636) 528-8551 Med Nutrition Therapy Ea 15m Pf | $28.60 | $44.00 | $2.86–$44.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital St Louis Saint Louis, MO Med Nutrition Therapy Ea 15m Pf | $28.60 | $44.00 | $25.62–$65.60 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Jefferson Festus, MO Med Nutrition Therapy Ea 15m Pf | $28.60 | $44.00 | $2.86–$44.00 | 35% | — source file |
| St Josephs Hospital Hospital Sisters Third Order of St Francis Breese, IL · (618) 526-4511 HC NUTRITION THRPY EVAL 15 MIN | $28.80 | $40.00 | $11.20–$88.95 | 28% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Troy, MO · (636) 528-8551 Med Nutrition Therapy Ea 15m | $31.85 | $49.00 | $3.19–$49.00 | 35% | — source file |
| St Josephs Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis Highland, IL · (618) 651-2600 HC NUTRITION THRPY EVAL 15 MIN | $38.16 | $53.00 | $14.84–$350.87 | 28% | — source file |
| Hshs Holy Family Hospital Greenville, IL · (618) 664-1230 HC NUTRITION THRPY EVAL 15 MIN | $39.60 | $55.00 | $15.40–$88.95 | 28% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Elsberry, MO Medical Nutrition Assmt&Ivntj Indiv Each 15 Mi | $50.25 | $67.00 | $33.50–$60.30 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospitals East Communities Washington, MO Medical Nutrition Assmt&Ivntj Indiv Each 15 Mi | $50.25 | $67.00 | $33.50–$56.95 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Elsberry, MO Medical Nutrition Assmt&Ivntj Indiv Each 15 Mi | $50.25 | $67.00 | $33.50–$60.30 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Elsberry, MO Medical Nutrition Assmt&Ivntj Indiv Each 15 Mi | $50.25 | $67.00 | $33.50–$60.30 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Elsberry, MO Medical Nutrition Assmt&Ivntj Indiv Each 15 Mi | $50.25 | $67.00 | $33.50–$60.30 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Elsberry, MO Medical Nutrition Assmt&Ivntj Indiv Each 15 Mi | $50.25 | $67.00 | $33.50–$60.30 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital St Louis Saint Louis, MO Med Nutrition Therapy Ea 15m | $68.90 | $106.00 | $6.89–$106.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Washington Washington, MO Med Nutrition Therapy Ea 15m | $74.10 | $114.00 | $7.41–$102.60 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Jefferson Festus, MO Med Nutrition Therapy Ea 15m | $98.80 | $152.00 | $9.88–$152.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Gateway Regional Medical Center Granite City, IL · (618) 798-3000 MNT INITIAL EA 15 MN | $116.65 | $194.41 | $194.41 | 40% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $24.05, median $38.16, highest $116.65 — a 4.9× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 8 facilities here, median $50.25. 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 11 of 11 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 3 it is 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.