Summary & Overview
CPT 91132: Transcutaneous Electrogastrography for Gastric Motility Evaluation
CPT code 91132 denotes diagnostic transcutaneous electrogastrography, a noninvasive test that records the stomach's electrical activity to evaluate possible gastric motility disorders. Nationally, this code matters for gastroenterology diagnostic pathways, reimbursement policy for advanced motility testing, and access to specialized noninvasive diagnostics for patients with suspected gastroparesis or related conditions. Payers commonly involved in coverage decisions for this service include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare.
This publication provides a concise overview of clinical context, payer coverage trends, benchmark expectations, and relevant policy considerations affecting use of CPT code 91132. Readers will find: a clinical summary of when transcutaneous electrogastrography is used; payer coverage landscape and typical reimbursement considerations; common billing and documentation themes to support medical necessity; and areas where policy updates or coding guidance could influence utilization. Where specific data elements were not provided in the input, those fields are noted as unavailable. The focus is national in scope and intended for healthcare policy analysts, coding professionals, and clinical leaders evaluating diagnostic motility services and related billing practices.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 91132 describes a diagnostic transcutaneous electrogastrography procedure used to measure the electrical activity of the stomach muscles to evaluate for possible gastric motility disorders. This service is a noninvasive diagnostic test that records gastric myoelectrical activity through cutaneous electrodes placed on the abdominal surface.
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Service type: Diagnostic electrogastrography (noninvasive gastric motility testing)
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Typical site of service: Outpatient clinic, gastroenterology clinic, or ambulatory diagnostic facility where noninvasive motility testing is performed.
Data not available in the input for associated taxonomies, ICD-10 diagnoses, related codes, and service line.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 42-year-old woman with months of postprandial nausea, early satiety, intermittent vomiting, and abdominal bloating is referred to a gastroenterology clinic to evaluate for suspected gastric motility disorder. Outpatient evaluation includes history, physical exam, medication review, and prior imaging to exclude obstruction. The clinician schedules diagnostic transcutaneous electrogastrography (91132) to record gastric myoelectrical activity over a standardized period while the patient is fasting and then after a standardized meal. The clinical workflow includes pre-procedure counseling, application of cutaneous electrodes to the abdominal wall, baseline recording, ingestion of a test meal, postprandial recording, signal processing and interpretation by the performing provider, and documentation of results in the medical record. The procedure is typically performed in an ambulatory clinic or gastroenterology outpatient testing suite. Typical payors involved in authorization and claims review include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, BUCA, and Medicare.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
26 | Professional component | When reporting only the physician interpretation of the test separate from the technical recording |