Wiki 2026 CPT and HCPC Codes_New Revised and Deletions

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codegirl0422

codegirl0422

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Hello, is there any way to find out what the new, revised and deleted CPT and HCPC codes will be for 2026? Where I work, people keep asking and I am not having any luck with google. Encoder Pro has some listed but not all and no HCPCs. Thank you in advance.
 
codegirl0422 said:
Hello, is there any way to find out what the new, revised and deleted CPT and HCPC codes will be for 2026? Where I work, people keep asking and I am not having any luck with google. Encoder Pro has some listed but not all and no HCPCs. Thank you in advance.
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HCPC codes update quarterly. There's a new file January, April, July, and October of every year. You can keep up on quarterly HCPC updates each year on the CMS website: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/coding-billing/healthcare-common-procedure-system/quarterly-update

The HCPC books are based on the January file, which is typically available from CMS mid-December each year. That's why HCPC books don't ship out until mid-January each year - it takes some time to publish the print books after CMS makes the file available in mid-December.

CPT is copyrighted by the AMA. There's generally not a complete list made public without purchasing the data or the book.

However, you can usually find some summaries, articles, and webinars about the new year's CPT code set written by either the AMA or by industry professionals who have purchased the books or code sets and written articles about changes they have found.

For 2026, there are 418 code changes: 288 new codes, 84 deleted codes, and 46 revised codes. (According to a press release from the AMA: https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/ama-press-releases/ama-releases-cpt-2026-code-set )

It looks like AAPC has a 2026 CPT updates webinar scheduled for November 25, presented by Rae Jimenez. Additionally, Rae will have an article in the December issue of AAPC the Magazine. (According to this AAPC article: https://www.aapc.com/blog/93398-ama-releases-cpt-2026/ )

You can probably find other vendors who are also doing CPT 2026 update sessions and articles to summarize the changes.

But as far as a downloadable list of CPT changes, AMA does not publish that for free. You either have to get a book, subscribe to an encoder, or purchase a data download.
 
You can find full descriptors for some new CPT and HCPCS codes in the Proposed 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. You can find some information about the new CPT codes here https://pbn.decisionhealth.com/Blogs/Detail.aspx?id=201132

But as stated above, you won't find a complete list of CPT codes for free. And even if such a list existed, it wouldn't contain all of the guidance that's in the manual.
 
sls314 said:
HCPC codes update quarterly. There's a new file January, April, July, and October of every year. You can keep up on quarterly HCPC updates each year on the CMS website: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/coding-billing/healthcare-common-procedure-system/quarterly-update

The HCPC books are based on the January file, which is typically available from CMS mid-December each year. That's why HCPC books don't ship out until mid-January each year - it takes some time to publish the print books after CMS makes the file available in mid-December.

CPT is copyrighted by the AMA. There's generally not a complete list made public without purchasing the data or the book.

However, you can usually find some summaries, articles, and webinars about the new year's CPT code set written by either the AMA or by industry professionals who have purchased the books or code sets and written articles about changes they have found.

For 2026, there are 418 code changes: 288 new codes, 84 deleted codes, and 46 revised codes. (According to a press release from the AMA: https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/ama-press-releases/ama-releases-cpt-2026-code-set )

It looks like AAPC has a 2026 CPT updates webinar scheduled for November 25, presented by Rae Jimenez. Additionally, Rae will have an article in the December issue of AAPC the Magazine. (According to this AAPC article: https://www.aapc.com/blog/93398-ama-releases-cpt-2026/ )

You can probably find other vendors who are also doing CPT 2026 update sessions and articles to summarize the changes.

But as far as a downloadable list of CPT changes, AMA does not publish that for free. You either have to get a book, subscribe to an encoder, or purchase a data download.
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Don't forget to check your specialty organization as well. A lot of them will provide a blurb or coding updates, although some require a membership. If so, you might be able to see if one of the providers or admin has a membership.
 
@rachaelwilleford @sls314 @jkyles
Thank you for replying.

I know when that HCPC codes are updated quarterly, CPT codes (pretty much) yearly. I know CPT codes are not free. I work for a utilization management company, and my doctors and health plans keep requesting when the codes will come out. We have a subscription to Optum. Optum finally released some of them but not all the 288 new ones, only 162 of them. I know consultants somehow get a copy of them and create presentations on them. I have looked at AMA and if you are not a doctor or student to be a doctor, you cannot become a member. So, I was wondering how others, educators/consultants get them? We have given them the list, now they are wanting to know why AMA said they were released in September 2025 but not available till a month+ later. I have explained they are copyrighted with the AMA etc.......... Just seeing if anyone has any further guidance. I appreciate all of your guys help!! And the links provided. 😊

https://www.ama-assn.org/press-cent...n,easily exchange medical service information.
 
Right, the press release in September is about the CPT data file. I've never seen that product but I THINK it is just the codes without any guidance. The manual typically publishes mid-October. I get a complete list of the new/revised/deleted codes through SelectCoder when the manual is published and the book soon after that.
 
jkyles said:
Right, the press release in September is about the CPT data file. I've never seen that product but I THINK it is just the codes without any guidance. The manual typically publishes mid-October. I get a complete list of the new/revised/deleted codes through SelectCoder when the manual is published and the book soon after that.
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I will have to check out SelectCoder. My work has a subscription to Optum, which is probably similar. We don't need guidance, just the codes. We keep getting a lot slack from doctors and clinical teams because they have 90 day turn around time with some of our health plans which means they are not meeting 1/1/2026. They do not necessarily understand that we cannot help it. I have been IM several times questioning why AMA would publish the article and there not be a way to get the list. I do not even see where you can get a membership to AMA if you are not a doctor or student to be a doctor. And even then, I am not sure if a doctor would have access to the list of codes, since it is all copyrighted and part of the CPT Book that is not published/released yet.
 
I think the reason for the article is to encourage people to buy the AMA's coding products. 💲

At the very bottom of the press release you linked there's this statement:

Coding books are available from the AMA storefront, including the CPT 2026 Professional Edition codebook. CPT data products, including the CPT 2026 Standard Data File and CPT educational content, are available via the AMA Intelligent Platform.
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So you (or your clients) can buy the data file. https://platform.ama-assn.org/ama/#/products. But even for its members the AMA does not publish a complete list of new codes for free or release it extra early.
 
jkyles said:
I think the reason for the article is to encourage people to buy the AMA's coding products. 💲

At the very bottom of the press release you linked there's this statement:



So you (or your clients) can buy the data file. https://platform.ama-assn.org/ama/#/products. But even for its members the AMA does not publish a complete list of new codes for free or release it extra early.
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Thank you! :) I agree, I think it is to encourage people to buy $.

I have that HCPC Updates are usually mid-December, is that correct?
 
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