It’s hard to believe, but April 1, 2026 is right around the corner. Just as you were getting comfortable with the October ICD-10 updates, here comes another round of changes to ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS.

If you’re wondering what’s in store this time, here’s a quick synopsis.

ICD-10-CM Updates – Nothing to See Here… Or Is There?

At first glance, April looks quiet.

There are no new, deleted, or revised ICD-10-CM codes this cycle.

But don’t close the tab just yet.

It’s easy to skim the 14-page tabular addenda, see that it “only” contains instructional note changes, and assume there’s nothing meaningful here. In reality, there are some important lessons embedded in this seemingly bland update – changes that will affect how we code beginning April 1, 2026.

Several Excludes1 notes are being converted to Excludes2 notes, which directly impacts whether certain codes may be reported together. That’s not a minor technical edit –  that’s a reporting change. There are also a handful of instructional note revisions that will affect code assignment and sequencing. If you’re not reviewing the addenda carefully, you could easily miss updates that alter long-standing coding habits.

Bottom line: No new codes doesn’t mean no impact.

ICD-10-PCS Updates – New Technologies Continue to Roll Out

On the procedural side, April is much more active.

There are 80 new ICD-10-PCS codes and two deleted codes taking effect.

Many of the new PCS codes reflect emerging technologies, while others address issues identified through Coding Clinic submissions and CMS internal review. As we’ve seen in recent years, the April PCS update continues to serve as a mechanism for capturing innovation more quickly and refining areas where clarification was needed.

The new PCS codes create reporting opportunities for a wide range of procedures and emerging technologies, including:

• Ventricular septum pacing
• Omental and mesenteric surgical aspiration
• Endoscopic Drainage of the Hepatobiliary System and pancreas
• Ureteral reimplantation with a Boari bladder flap
• Simple prostatectomy
• Air displacement plethysmography for infants
• Venous flow modulation
• Microcurrent therapy
• Negative pressure wound therapy
• GORE® VIABAHN® VIAFORT Venous Stent
• OmniaSecure™ MRI SureScan™ Lead
• Autologous cell seeded tissue engineered resorbable scaffold (ACSTERS)
• Intracochlear administration of DB-OTO
• Ellora™ Obstetrical System
• Administration of ZEMAIRA® (alpha1-proteinase inhibitor)
• Administration of anitocabtagene autoleucel (anito-cel)
• Administration of CPI-601

In addition, codes for embryonic stem cell transplant are being reclassified from root operation Transfusion to root operation Introduction, reinforcing the importance of reviewing not just new codes, but also structural changes within the PCS tables.

Want More Details?

If you’d like a deeper dive into what these changes mean – and how they may affect your coding practices – be sure to check out our mid-year ICD-10 webinar series.

We’ll break down the updates, explain the practical impact, and provide additional insight into coding advice published since the October update.

Upcoming Webinars:

• 2026 April ICD-10-CM Code Updates: Behind the Codes
• 2026 April PCS Coding Updates: Exploring New Technologies and Code Changes

April will be here before we know it. Now is the time to review, prepare, and make sure you’re ready.