Welcome to the CDI Provider Resource Center.
Contact our dedicated provider services team for additional support.

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Patient Instructional Videos & Guides

Patients should follow the instructions for use in their kit for additional test instructions and updated return shipping information. Patients can also contact CDI’s dedicated customer service team at 888-258-5966 or customerservice@commdx.com with questions or concerns.

SIBO & IMO
10 Tube Lactulose
(Adult GI)

SIBO & IMO
10 Tube Glucose
(Adult GI)

SIBO & IMO
6 Tube Lactulose
(Pediatric GI)

Fructose
Malabsorption

Lactose
Malabsorption

Sucrose
Malabsorption

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FAQs and Billing & Insurance

How do I order breath testing kits for my patients?

Our hydrogen and methane breath test kits are available to health care providers at no cost. They are easily accessible through our website’s Ordering page or by contacting your Account Representative. Many of our providers also take advantage of our automatic re-ordering program to proactively account for average monthly usage. Call our Customer Service Department at 1-888-258-5966 for more information about ordering kits.

Where will my patients take the test?

Our patient-centric model allows your patients to administer these tests in the comfort of their own home. Your office will simply fill out the one-page Requisition Form included in every kit and send your patient home to take it. A pre-paid return shipping label is included in the kit for easy patient return to our laboratory. We will take care of the rest.

How are patients’ kits returned to CDI?

We provide a pre-paid, pre-addressed shipping label in each kit. Patients will simply take the completed, sealed test kit and return it to us using the shipping label provided.

What is the turnaround time for laboratory results?

When the kit arrives at our laboratory, it will be analyzed within 1 business day. Kits that arrive on Saturdays or holidays will be analyzed the following business day. Results will be sent to your practice via a secure fax system, secure email, or your office can set up an account with us to receive results via our HIPAA-compliant web-based reporting system.

How is my patient’s insurance billing handled?

Insurance may cover some or all of your patient’s breath test depending on the patient’s insurance plan and benefits. We bill the medical insurance provider specified by patients on their Requisition Form included in each kit. CDI does not accept Medicaid. We offer a patient assistance program for qualified individuals who cannot afford the test. Please call our Customer Service Department at 1-888-258-5966 for more information about billing or our patient assistance program.

Do patients need a pre-authorization before taking the test?

This depends on the patient’s individual health plan. Even within the same medical health insurance company, some plans require pre-authorization and others do not. It is best for the patient to contact the appropriate health insurance representative to inquire about pre-authorization. Your patients’ claim may require an out of network pre-authorization referral. If there is a pre-authorization number, please ask the patient to write it on the Requisition Form he/she will be sending to us with the breath samples.

What if the patient doesn’t have medical insurance?

If your patient has no medical insurance, ask him or her to call our office for information. We do have cash pay options available, and we work with patients individually on a case-by-case basis to determine appropriate payment options. Dial 1-888-258-5966 to reach our Customer Service Department.

What is the difference between glucose and lactulose substrates?

Glucose is absorbed by the digestive tract so it will not be able to detect SIBO that is further along in the small intestine (proximal jejunum/ileum). However, because of this, glucose is considered to be more sensitive than lactulose, providing less false positives with colonic bacteria.

Lactulose is not absorbed by the digestive tract and will travel through the entire gastrointestinal tract, ultimately providing a complete depiction of all intestinal segments, including the colon (large intestine).

What are the ingredients to the sugar substrates?

In the United States, lactulose contains a 10-gram dose of lactulose with less than 1.6-grams of galactose, less than 1.2-grams of lactose, and 1.2- grams of other sugars. If you have a sensitivity to any of the sugars listed, please consult your healthcare provider/nutritionist for a possible alternative substrate he/she can prescribe. (i.e. glucose)

Outside the United States, lactulose contains a 10-gram dose of lactulose with more than 5-grams of lactose/galactose/epilactose. If you have a sensitivity to any of the sugars listed, please consult your healthcare provider/nutritionist for a possible alternative substrate he/she can prescribe. (i.e. glucose)

Glucose is 100% glucose sugar. If you are sensitive and/or have diabetes (Type I or II), please consult with your healthcare provider if this substrate is right for you.

Fructose is 100% fructose sugar.

Lactose is 100% lactose sugar.

Sucrose is 100% sucrose sugar.

Can CDI help my understand my patient's breath test results?

CDI offers interpretation assistance to providers for all of our diagnostic test kits.  Please note, CDI can only discuss the following as each patient’s symptom and history may vary:  parameters of our test, test methods, most common results, and instrumentation questions.  CDI does not provide treatment recommendations.  Providers can find an explanation of the 6 most common results for hydrogen & methane breath tests here.  CDI follows guidance from the North American Consensus on Breath Testing for all of our hydrogen & methane breath tests.  A summary of the consensus can be found here, and the full consensus from the American Journal of Gastroenterology can be found here.  For additional assistance, please contact our customer support team at 888-258-5966.

My patient tested positive for COVID-19. When can they take and return a CDI breath test?

For any patient that has tested positive for COVID-19, CDI has adopted a corporate policy whereby you should not administer and return your test kit, and CDI will not accept samples from any known COVID-19 positive patient, until thirty days (30) have passed following a negative follow-up test for COVID-19 from your healthcare provider.

We are implementing this policy in an abundance of caution in order to provide for the safest possible environment for our patients as well as our employees and clinical staff. We thank you for your cooperation with our policies, we wish you a speedy recovery and good health, and we look forward to working with you in the near future to help diagnose your gastrointestinal symptoms.

Breath Tests

CDI will submit a claim on the patient’s behalf to commercial insurance, Medicare or Tricare. Insurance may cover some or all of the test depending on the patient’s insurance plan and benefits. In the event the patient’s insurance provider denies the insurance claim, or if the patient has not met the deductible or has a coinsurance or co-pay, or if for any reason the insurance does not cover the full amount of the test, the patient is responsible to pay CDI for products and services received.

CDI does not accept any Medicaid plans: therefore, any Medicaid patient taking a test will be responsible for the full cost of the test. CDI offers convenient payment plans and financial hardship programs for qualifying patients. Patients may pay upfront via check sent with the kit or credit card. The maximum out-of-pocket cost per test is $249 for patients that pay promptly in accordance with CDI patient billing policies and programs.

Breath Test FAQs
How do I order breath testing kits for my patients?

Our hydrogen and methane breath test kits are available to health care providers at no cost. They are easily accessible through our website’s Ordering page or by contacting your Account Representative. Many of our providers also take advantage of our automatic re-ordering program to proactively account for average monthly usage. Call our Customer Service Department at 1-888-258-5966 for more information about ordering kits.

Where will my patients take the test?

Our patient-centric model allows your patients to administer these tests in the comfort of their own home. Your office will simply fill out the one-page Requisition Form included in every kit and send your patient home to take it. A pre-paid return shipping label is included in the kit for easy patient return to our laboratory. We will take care of the rest.

How are patients’ kits returned to CDI?

We provide a pre-paid, pre-addressed shipping label in each kit. Patients will simply take the completed, sealed test kit and return it to us using the shipping label provided.

What is the turnaround time for laboratory results?

When the kit arrives at our laboratory, it will be analyzed within 1 business day. Kits that arrive on Saturdays or holidays will be analyzed the following business day. Results will be sent to your practice via a secure fax system, secure email, or your office can set up an account with us to receive results via our HIPAA-compliant web-based reporting system.

How is my patient’s insurance billing handled?

Insurance may cover some or all of your patient’s breath test depending on the patient’s insurance plan and benefits. We bill the medical insurance provider specified by patients on their Requisition Form included in each kit. CDI does not accept Medicaid. We offer a patient assistance program for qualified individuals who cannot afford the test. Please call our Customer Service Department at 1-888-258-5966 for more information about billing or our patient assistance program.

Do patients need a pre-authorization before taking the test?

This depends on the patient’s individual health plan. Even within the same medical health insurance company, some plans require pre-authorization and others do not. It is best for the patient to contact the appropriate health insurance representative to inquire about pre-authorization. Your patients’ claim may require an out of network pre-authorization referral. If there is a pre-authorization number, please ask the patient to write it on the Requisition Form he/she will be sending to us with the breath samples.

What if the patient doesn’t have medical insurance?

If your patient has no medical insurance, ask him or her to call our office for information. We do have cash pay options available, and we work with patients individually on a case-by-case basis to determine appropriate payment options. Dial 1-888-258-5966 to reach our Customer Service Department.

What is the difference between glucose and lactulose substrates?

Glucose is absorbed by the digestive tract so it will not be able to detect SIBO that is further along in the small intestine (proximal jejunum/ileum). However, because of this, glucose is considered to be more sensitive than lactulose, providing less false positives with colonic bacteria.

Lactulose is not absorbed by the digestive tract and will travel through the entire gastrointestinal tract, ultimately providing a complete depiction of all intestinal segments, including the colon (large intestine).

What are the ingredients to the sugar substrates?

In the United States, lactulose contains a 10-gram dose of lactulose with less than 1.6-grams of galactose, less than 1.2-grams of lactose, and 1.2- grams of other sugars. If you have a sensitivity to any of the sugars listed, please consult your healthcare provider/nutritionist for a possible alternative substrate he/she can prescribe. (i.e. glucose)

Outside the United States, lactulose contains a 10-gram dose of lactulose with more than 5-grams of lactose/galactose/epilactose. If you have a sensitivity to any of the sugars listed, please consult your healthcare provider/nutritionist for a possible alternative substrate he/she can prescribe. (i.e. glucose)

Glucose is 100% glucose sugar. If you are sensitive and/or have diabetes (Type I or II), please consult with your healthcare provider if this substrate is right for you.

Fructose is 100% fructose sugar.

Lactose is 100% lactose sugar.

Sucrose is 100% sucrose sugar.

Can CDI help my understand my patient's breath test results?

CDI offers interpretation assistance to providers for all of our diagnostic test kits.  Please note, CDI can only discuss the following as each patient’s symptom and history may vary:  parameters of our test, test methods, most common results, and instrumentation questions.  CDI does not provide treatment recommendations.  Providers can find an explanation of the 6 most common results for hydrogen & methane breath tests here.  CDI follows guidance from the North American Consensus on Breath Testing for all of our hydrogen & methane breath tests.  A summary of the consensus can be found here, and the full consensus from the American Journal of Gastroenterology can be found here.  For additional assistance, please contact our customer support team at 888-258-5966.

My patient tested positive for COVID-19. When can they take and return a CDI breath test?

For any patient that has tested positive for COVID-19, CDI has adopted a corporate policy whereby you should not administer and return your test kit, and CDI will not accept samples from any known COVID-19 positive patient, until thirty days (30) have passed following a negative follow-up test for COVID-19 from your healthcare provider.

We are implementing this policy in an abundance of caution in order to provide for the safest possible environment for our patients as well as our employees and clinical staff. We thank you for your cooperation with our policies, we wish you a speedy recovery and good health, and we look forward to working with you in the near future to help diagnose your gastrointestinal symptoms.

Billing & Insurance

Breath Tests

CDI will submit a claim on the patient’s behalf to commercial insurance, Medicare or Tricare. Insurance may cover some or all of the test depending on the patient’s insurance plan and benefits. In the event the patient’s insurance provider denies the insurance claim, or if the patient has not met the deductible or has a coinsurance or co-pay, or if for any reason the insurance does not cover the full amount of the test, the patient is responsible to pay CDI for products and services received.

CDI does not accept any Medicaid plans: therefore, any Medicaid patient taking a test will be responsible for the full cost of the test. CDI offers convenient payment plans and financial hardship programs for qualifying patients. Patients may pay upfront via check sent with the kit or credit card. The maximum out-of-pocket cost per test is $249 for patients that pay promptly in accordance with CDI patient billing policies and programs.

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