Summary & Overview
CPT 0106U: Cairn 13C–Spirulina Gastric Emptying Breath Test
CPT code 0106U designates the Cairn 13C–Spirulina Gastric Emptying Breath Test (GEBT), a proprietary, noninvasive, nonradioactive laboratory test that measures the rate of gastric emptying of solids in adults. As a PLA code, 0106U applies to a single manufacturer-specific test and signals a unique clinical offering in gastric motility assessment. Nationally, the code matters because it clarifies reporting for this specific breath test and supports claims submission and tracking for a diagnostic alternative to scintigraphic gastric emptying studies.
Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of the clinical purpose of the test, the expected service setting, and the administrative context for billing under a PLA code. The publication outlines common modifiers associated with laboratory and diagnostic services and identifies where data was unavailable in the input.
The content helps payers, providers, and policy analysts understand: the clinical context for reporting 0106U; typical sites of service where the test is performed; what a PLA designation implies for coding and claims processing; and which major payers are considered in coverage and benchmarking discussions. Data not available in the input are noted where applicable.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 0106U is a Proprietary Laboratory Analyses (PLA) code for the Cairn 13C–Spirulina Gastric Emptying Breath Test (GEBT) from Cairn Diagnostics, d/b/a Advanced Breath Diagnostics, LLC. This test is a noninvasive, nonradioactive breath test that measures the rate of gastric emptying of solids in adult patients.
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Service type: Noninvasive diagnostic breath test measuring gastric emptying of solids
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Typical site of service: Outpatient diagnostic laboratory or clinic-based testing facility where breath testing is performed
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 45-year-old adult with several months of postprandial nausea, early satiety, bloating, and intermittent vomiting is evaluated in a gastroenterology clinic. After history, physical exam, and initial testing (basic labs and upper endoscopy) fail to identify an obstruction or alternative cause, the gastroenterologist orders a noninvasive gastric emptying assessment. The patient presents to an outpatient breath testing facility or a hospital outpatient clinic on the test day after fasting overnight. The test uses the Cairn 13C–Spirulina Gastric Emptying Breath Test (0106U) kit and protocol: the patient ingests a standardized solid meal labeled with 13C-spirulina, and serial breath samples are collected over the prescribed interval. Breath samples are analyzed by the laboratory performing the Proprietary Laboratory Analysis, and results reporting the rate of gastric emptying (e.g., T1/2 or percentage retained at time points) are returned to the ordering gastroenterologist. The ordering clinician integrates the 0106U result with clinical findings to guide management decisions such as prokinetic therapy, dietary modification, or further testing (e.g., gastric emptying scintigraphy if discordant or clinically necessary). Typical site of service is an outpatient ambulatory clinic, dedicated breath-testing laboratory, or hospital outpatient department. The service type is diagnostic gastroenterology functional testing using a proprietary breath assay.
Coding Specifications
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