B4100 — Food thickener, administered orally, per ounce
B4100 is a HCPCS Level II code for food thickener, administered orally, per ounce. It belongs to the Enteral and Parenteral Therapy section. Medicare does not pay it — see the coverage note below before you bill it.
Medicare coverage: Non-covered by Medicare
Medicare does not cover the item or service this code describes.
From the coverage field of the CMS Alpha-Numeric HCPCS File, release 2026Q3-Jul. This states Medicare’s position on the code, not on your particular claim.
Medically Unlikely Edits — units per day
The most units of B4100 Medicare will pay on one date of service. Bill more on a single line and it is denied. The limit is not the same in every setting, so the row that matters is the one matching the claim you are building.
- practitioner
- 0 — never payable MAI 3 — Date of Service Edit: Clinical · CMS Policy
- outpatient
- 0 — never payable MAI 3 — Date of Service Edit: Clinical · CMS Policy
- DME supplier
- 0 — never payable MAI 3 — Date of Service Edit: Clinical · Published Contractor Policy
The adjudication indicator decides whether exceeding the limit is worth appealing at all: MAI 1 is a line edit you can support with documentation, MAI 3 is a date-of-service edit that is also appealable, and MAI 2 is absolute — no documentation overrides it. CMS MUE 2026Q3.
The CMS record for B4100
- Long descriptor
- Food thickener, administered orally, per ounce
- Short descriptor
- Food thickener oral
- Added
- January 1, 2003
- BETOS
- Z2
- Pricing indicator
- 00 — Not priced by Part B
The official wording. This is what the code means.
CMS's 28-character form, which is what shows up on a remittance advice.
When CMS introduced the code.
Berenson-Eggers Type of Service — CMS's own analytic grouping.
Service not separately priced by Part B — not covered, bundled into another service, or used by Part A only.
Codes adjacent to B4100
HCPCS has no hierarchy — related items simply sit next to each other in the numbering. If B4100 is not quite right, the correct code is very often within a few positions of it.
- B4034Enteral feeding supply kit; syringe fed, per day, includes but not limited to feeding/flushing syringe, administration set tubing, dressings, tape
- B4035Enteral feeding supply kit; pump fed, per day, includes but not limited to feeding/flushing syringe, administration set tubing, dressings, tape
- B4036Enteral feeding supply kit; gravity fed, per day, includes but not limited to feeding/flushing syringe, administration set tubing, dressings, tape
- B4081Nasogastric tubing with stylet
- B4082Nasogastric tubing without stylet
- B4083Stomach tube - levine type
- B4087Gastrostomy/jejunostomy tube, standard, any material, any type, each
- B4088Gastrostomy/jejunostomy tube, low-profile, any material, any type, each
- B4102Enteral formula, for adults, used to replace fluids and electrolytes (e.g., clear liquids), 500 ml = 1 unit
- B4103Enteral formula, for pediatrics, used to replace fluids and electrolytes (e.g., clear liquids), 500 ml = 1 unit
- B4104Additive for enteral formula (e.g., fiber)
- B4105In-line cartridge containing digestive enzyme(s) for enteral feeding, each
- B4148Enteral feeding supply kit; elastomeric control fed, per day, includes but not limited to feeding/flushing syringe, administration set tubing, dressings, tape
- B4149Enteral formula, manufactured blenderized natural foods with intact nutrients, includes proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, may include fiber, administered through an enteral feeding tube, 100 calories = 1 unit
- B4150Enteral formula, nutritionally complete with intact nutrients, includes proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, may include fiber, administered through an enteral feeding tube, 100 calories = 1 unit
- B4152Enteral formula, nutritionally complete, calorically dense (equal to or greater than 1.5 kcal/ml) with intact nutrients, includes proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, may include fiber, administered through an enteral feeding tube, 100 calories = 1 unit
Questions about B4100
What is HCPCS code B4100?
B4100 is a HCPCS Level II code for food thickener, administered orally, per ounce. It sits in the Enteral and Parenteral Therapy section.
Does Medicare cover B4100?
The CMS HCPCS file marks B4100 as "Non-covered by Medicare". Medicare does not cover the item or service this code describes.