Nutrition counseling cost in St. Louis, MO — inpatient
In St. Louis, MO-IL, 8 hospitals list a cash price for nutrition counseling (medical nutrition therapy), first visit, 15 minutes as an inpatient: from $28.80 to $116.65, with a median of $50.25. The lowest listed price is at St Josephs Hospital Hospital Sisters Third Order of St Francis — $21.45 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $40.30 at 27 hospitals.
Cash prices at 8 facilities across 8 cities for code 97802, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 16, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Josephs Hospital Hospital Sisters Third Order of St Francis lowest Breese, IL · (618) 526-4511 HC NUTRITION THRPY EVAL 15 MIN | $28.80 | $40.00 | $11.20–$88.95 | 28% | — 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 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 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 Rehabilitation Hospital St. Louis Chesterfield, MO NUTRITIONAL CONS PER 15 MIN | $52.20 | $52.20 | $52.20 | — | Mar 16, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital South Louis, MO NUTRITIONAL CONS PER 15 MIN | $102.28 | $102.28 | $102.28 | — | Mar 16, 2026 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 |
Inpatient: lowest $28.80, median $50.25, highest $116.65 — a 4.1× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 11 facilities here, median $38.16 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 6 of 8 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 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.