Current Procedural Terminology® 2026 Code Set Overview

Summary of Key Changes

The Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) 2026 code set, effective January 1, 2026, from the American Medical Association (AMA) introduces 418 editorial changes, including 288 new codes, 84 deletions, and 46 revisions. Significant updates are included across evaluation & management (E&M), surgery, radiology, pathology & laboratory, medicine, and Category III services.

The 2026 CPT code set focuses on:

• Aligning codes with expanding digital health technologies and minimally invasive procedures
• Improving anatomical and procedural specificity
• Streamlining reporting to support accurate reimbursement and audit readiness
• Support the growing role of remote monitoring, diagnostics enabled by artificial intelligence (AI), and minimally invasive therapies

This overview highlights key CPT 2026 changes by section.

Evaluation & Management: Remote Physiologic Monitoring (RPM) Modernized

The most notable E/M updates modernize remote physiologic monitoring (RPM) and RPM treatment management services by introducing two new codes (99445, 99470) and revising several existing codes (99453, 99454, 99457, +99458) to better align with care delivery.

Highlights include:

• New and revised codes for shorter monitoring periods of 2–15 days of data within a 30-day period
• Reduced treatment management beginning at 10 minutes per calendar month instead of 20
• Requires a physician or other qualified healthcare professional to order a medical device defined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• One real-time, interactive communication with the patient or caregiver per month
• Precise documentation of monitoring days, cumulative time, and treatment impact is essential

Surgery Section: Greater Specificity Across Systems

Integumentary System

CPT 10040 has been revised to remove the term "acne surgery," clarifying the code’s broad use for incision, drainage, and extraction of small skin lesions such as cysts, milia, comedones, and pustules.

Musculoskeletal System: Sacroiliac Joint Arthrodesis

Significant revisions to sacroiliac (SI) joint arthrodesis codes clarify device placement:

• Intra-articular device placement without cortical piercing (27278)
• Transarticular and/or intra-articular device(s) that pierce the cortices (27279)

Cardiovascular System: TEVAR and Endovascular Revascularization

The cardiovascular chapter includes 48 new codes and important restructures to reflect advanced endovascular and revascularization techniques.

• Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR): Revised and new codes (33880–33886) shift toward anatomy-based selection, accounting for coverage of the left subclavian artery, use of branched or fenestrated endografts, and delayed proximal and distal extensions.
• Endovascular revascularization: A new anatomically driven family of 46 new codes (37254–37299) replaces legacy codes, clarifying lesion complexity and including access and imaging, and organizing procedures by four vascular territories:
  1. Iliac
  2. Femoral/popliteal
  3. Tibial/peroneal
  4. Inframalleolar

Digestive System: ESG and Liver Tumor IRE

Two high-visibility Digestive System CPT 2026 updates center on minimally invasive, image-guided therapies to include:

• Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty (ESG): A new code (43889) describes transoral endoscopic suturing to reduce stomach volume. This minimally invasive weight-loss procedure is performed without incisions and may be used for adults with BMI ≥30 and related comorbidities.
• Irreversible Electroporation (IRE) for Liver Tumors: A new percutaneous ablation code (47384) captures the use of non-thermal electrical pulses to destroy liver tumors while preserving surrounding structures. Imaging guidance is included in the code descriptor.

Urinary and Male Genital System: Prostate Coding Restructured

The CPT 2026 prostate updates represent a major restructuring aimed at precision and minimally invasive techniques, including:

• New biopsy structure: Biopsy codes (55705–55715) now specify approach (transrectal, transperineal, in-bore) and guidance (ultrasound, MRI-fusion).
• New technologies captured include:
  • Robotic-assisted waterjet resection (52597)
  • Drug-coated balloon therapy (52443)
  • Irreversible electroporation of prostate tumors (55877)
  • New Category III code for HIFU therapy (0950T)

Nervous System: Percutaneous and Device-Based Innovations

The Nervous System (61000–64999) section introduces 11 new codes and three revisions that reflect growing adoption of minimally invasive techniques, including:

• Percutaneous lumbar decompression via partial removal of ligamentum flavum with image guidance (62330/62331)
• Add-on code for annular defect repair using a bone-anchored closure device with lumbar decompression (+63032)
• Percutaneous balloon decompression of the median nerve in carpal tunnel syndrome, including ultrasound guidance (64728)
• Non-implantable percutaneous electrical nerve field stimulation (PENFS) of cranial nerves (64567)

Radiology and Radiation Oncology: AI Perfusion Imaging, and SRT

• Radiology: Key changes that align with the broader adoption of advanced imaging and AI-enabled quantification include:
  • New CT/CTA codes for head and neck imaging (70471–70473)
  • A new code for coronary atherosclerotic plaque analysis using augmentative software (75577)
  • Deletion of multiple outdated Category III codes
• Radiation Oncology: The 2026 radiation treatment delivery (RTD) overhaul to streamline reporting and align with modern radiation workflows include:

• Legacy IMRT delivery codes are deleted
• Creates a new three-level treatment delivery model (77402, 77407, 77412) replaces previous IMRT codes
• Technical image guidance (IGRT) is now bundled into treatment delivery codes
• A new Surface Radiation Therapy (SRT) family (77436–77439) clarifies planning, delivery, and energy-level distinctions

Pathology and Laboratory Procedures: Accelerating Precision Diagnostics

With 86 new codes, key updates include:

• Multianalyte assays with algorithmic analyses (MAAA) expansion: New codes for central nervous system (CNS) tumor DNA methylation analysis (81524)
• Heavy metal testing revisions qualitative (83015) and quantitative (83018)
• New resistance testing codes: enzyme detection (87182) and gene detection (87183)
• New infectious disease panels: STI multiplex (87494) and SARS-CoV-2/influenza antigen testing (87812)
• Ongoing growth in PLA codes and editorial updates to molecular diagnostics

Medicine and Category III: Emerging Technologies

• Medicine section: Introduces 37 additions, 17 deletions, and 18 revisions, spanning:
  • Immunizations and immune globulin therapies
  • New anorectal diagnostic testing codes (91124, 91125)
  • Ophthalmic dark adaptation testing
  • Updated coronary therapeutic codes, remote therapeutic monitoring, and mechanical scalp cooling
• Category III Codes: With 78 additions and 21 deletions, new entries include:
  • High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for benign prostate tissue
  • Leadless dual-chamber pacemakers
  • Middle ear implant procedures
  • Selective enzymatic debridement
  • AI-assisted burn healing assessment

Practical Takeaways for CPT 2026 Readiness

Staying current with annual CPT updates is essential for accurate coding, compliant billing, and audit readiness. Implementing CPT 2026 requires:

• Proactive education for coders and broader teams
• Accurate documentation templates
• Updated systems and workflows
• Ongoing audits of high-impact areas

Download our eBook, 2026 Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Code Set Overview, for more details on these changes.