GI MAP Test

GI-MAP test and Dietitian-Led Protocol

What is the GI-MAP Test? It stands for Gastro-Intestinal Microbial Assay Plus which is a comprehensive stool analysis. The central tenet of functional medicine nutrition is often to look to the gut first as an essential place to start evaluating one’s health. Addressing gut health is crucial in all conditions including ones I help clients address, like IBS, SIBO, Hashimoto’s and other Autoimmune Disorders.

Using a GI-MAP Test to analyze your gut microbiome and digestive health can help you find the root cause of your gut health issues. The gut is truly the gateway to either optimal or ill health. Surprisingly, almost any condition points to something amiss in the gut, independent of tangible gut/digestive symptoms.

Who is a GI-Map Test for?

Per the GI-MAP Test lab company, “some conditions that warrant testing are:

• Autoimmune diseases
• IBS/IBD
• Digestive complaints, diarrhea or constipation
• Brain fog
• Skin problems, like acne and psoriasis
• Mood disorders, depression, and anxiety
• Diabetes and weight loss issues”

As you can see, this covers a wide variety of conditions, which goes to show how pivotal gut health is for every system of the body.

What Does the GI MAP Tell You?

The test will show if there is:

• presence of infections (bacterial, viral, parasitic, protozoal, fungal),
• balance or imbalance of healthy gut bacteria, and
• intestinal health markers (gut inflammation, digestive capacity, gluten sensitivity, etc).

Another important part of the clinical interpretation of the GI MAP results is identifying patterns in the data. For example, while stomach acid levels are not directly tested in stool, the GI MAP pattern of results can help us identify whether or not you likely have sufficient stomach acid (crucial for digestion & a balanced microbiome). The results would enable us to identify your underlying health issues and create a customized dietary, lifestyle & supplement protocol specific for your needs.

Markers Included on the GI MAP Test

The GI MAP tests for the following markers and more:

• Parasites, viruses, worms
• H pylori
• Candida and other fungi/yeast
• Gut Immune markers: Anti-Gliadin IgA, Secretory IgA (SIgA)
• Digestive health markers: Elastase-1, Steatocrit
• Unhealthy and inflammatory bacteria, such as Klebsiella and Pseudomonas
• Healthy bacteria, including Lactobacillus, Bifidobacteria, and Akkermansia

View a GI MAP sample report here.

How Much Does the GI MAP Test Cost?

GI MAP test price: $389*

*Prices are subject to change. Payment is made directly to lab company. Although the test is out of network with insurance companies, your insurance may be willing to reimburse in some select circumstances. HSA & FSA cards can be used to purchase the test.

Is the GI MAP test covered by insurance?

To understand if the GI MAP test is covered by insurance, you have to fulfill two of the following requirements:

1. You must have Out of Network Coverage

The GI-MAP Test is Out-of-Network with all insurances, so to have any chance of reimbursement, your insurance plan must at least have Out-of-Network benefits. However, most insurance plans will only provide full or partial coverage of costs if there is a demonstrated medical necessity. 

2. You must have demonstrated Medical Necessity

To help us demonstrate that necessity, you need to have been diagnosed by a physician with certain gut-related diagnoses like IBS, Crohn’s disease, Celiac disease, other intestinal infections or problems such as constipation, diarrhea, nausea, bloating, or gastritis. I will need to use the exact terminology of diagnosis on the test order that the physician used in your medical record, so you would have to view your medical record or ask the specialist who diagnosed you and send those diagnoses & diagnostic codes (called ICD 10 codes) to me. 

Once we have verified these medical diagnoses, I can then order the test kit for you. When the lab receives your sample, they will contact you to still pay a deposit of up to $200. If the lab works with your insurance to get full coverage, you will then receive this deposit back in full. If insurance agrees to partially reimburse, you will only be required to pay the difference. In the case that insurance denies coverage, you will be required to pay the remainder of the cost billed to insurance.

While trying to get insurance coverage can be an obviously helpful way to pay for the test, unfortunately, I have not seen a great success rate. Despite the GI-MAP being a remarkable test to support true gut healing (& really so much more healing even beyond the gut!), many insurance companies have not yet recognized it as such. This is an unfortunate classic representation of the pitfalls of conventional healthcare & health insurance!

Is the GI-Map Test Legitimate?

The GI-MAP Test is a highly accurate & reliable test (highly recommended gut test by functional medicine practitioners!) that allows you and I to understand your gut microbiome and digestive health so that we can develop a personalized treatment protocol for you to address gut dysfunction. Treatment needs are based on:

• which overgrowths are urgent: bacteria, parasites, viruses, fungi, & more
• intestinal health markers, including those related to gut inflammation, leaky gut and immunity, gluten sensitivity, and more
• which areas of the gut are already optimized- so we can rest assured that we don’t need to spend as much effort for those areas
• which areas should be addressed after an infection is resolved

The test is a self-administered stool sample (yes, just a tiny bit of your poop!) easily done at home. I promise, all of my clients are relieved when they realize how easy (& clean!) the process is. Only a qualified healthcare professional can order the GI MAP test.

This test has provided remarkable insight for numerous clients of mine (including myself! learn more about my gut healing journey here), offering my clients long sought-for healing of issues like digestive disorders, autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto’s, weight loss resistance, and more.

How Does the GI-Map Test Compare With Other Gut Tests?

I frequently get this question wondering how the GI-MAP Test compares to other gut tests like Viome. Tests like Viome only help support overall wellness. While that’s great, if you have been suffering from chronic gut symptoms and other bodily symptoms related to gut inflammation, then these tests unfortunately miss the mark. To truly identify the causes of gut inflammation so that you can treat those issues head-on, the GI MAP test is the right option.

GI-Map Test vs Viome

Per the Viome website: “Viome does not diagnose or treat SIBO or other gastrointestinal conditions.” On the other hand, while GI-MAP doesn’t technically test for SIBO, it can give us clues to whether or not someone would benefit from SIBO breath testing. Additionally, the GI-MAP test can let us know how to best treat SIBO and other bacterial overgrowths.

Viome can give clues as to the general health of your gut microbiome. But only the GI-MAP gives us actual results of the markers for inflammation, the specific microbes or lack thereof that might be causing the inflammation, as well as specific levels of digestive health markers.

This specificity of the GI-MAP results is much more clinically useful in actually identifying and treating specific gut health issues. If you’ve been dealing with chronic gut health issues and are tired of the “eat more fiber, drink more water” or “just take a probiotic” type of basic advice from your doctor or other practitioners, then you are READY to get to the root cause with the GI MAP test. Tests like Viome cannot provide that level of support.

5R Gut Healing Protocol

Once a GI-MAP Test is complete, I will work with you one-on-one to go over the results and how to proceed for optimal healing. We will walk through the 5R Gut Healing Protocol and discuss various avenues for your road to recovery. Are you ready to take that next step or maybe you have a few more questions? Don’t sweat it! Book a free 30 minute Gut Health Strategy Session with me by clicking on the link below.

Ready to Test not Guess?