Nutrition counseling cost in California

In California, 141 hospitals publish a cash price for nutrition counseling (medical nutrition therapy), first visit, 15 minutes: from $8.40 to $814.63, with a median of $99.68. The lowest price is at Redlands Community Hospital (Redlands). The highest price is 97.0× the lowest.

• The median here, $99.68, is 91% above the US median of $52.20.
• That is 2.7× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($36.74).
• California ranks 45th of 49 states by median, cheapest first.
• 38 of 141 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.

California law (Health and Safety Code §127405): if you are uninsured or have high medical costs and your family income is at or below 400% of the federal poverty level, a hospital may not expect you to pay more than it would expect from Medicare or Medi-Cal, whichever is greater. That can be less than the cash prices below; ask the hospital for its discount payment policy. A separate physician fee may still apply. Other states' laws.

Outpatient cash prices, one line per hospital — its lowest listed price for code 97802. Prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Collected Nov 8, 2026. See them on a map