Saturday, July 4, 2026

The American Medical Association released a modernized set of Current Procedural Terminology codes for maternity care. The update aims to align coding with current clinical practice, including changes for prenatal visits, deliveries, and postpartum care. New and revised codes will be effective for January 2027 implementation. Billing teams in obstetrics and family medicine must update their charge masters and EHR templates by the fourth quarter of 2026. Failure to adopt the new codes by the effective date will result in claim rejections.

CMS data shows U.S. health expenditures hit $5.7 trillion in 2025. This represents continued growth in healthcare spending as a share of the economy. The report provides a benchmark for practice owners evaluating their revenue trends against national averages. While not an operational change, the figure underscores the scale of the system billing teams operate within and the ongoing financial pressure on both public and private payers to manage costs.

New York State has seen over 7,500 Medicaid beneficiaries lose coverage in the initial month following the implementation of a work requirement. The rule mandates most able-bodied adults without dependents to prove 80 hours of work or qualifying activities each month to maintain eligibility. This drop contributes to a national decline in Medicaid enrollment, which has fallen by more than 5 million people. The coverage losses create a new uninsured population that may present as self-pay patients or seek care in emergency departments, shifting uncompensated care burdens. Practice workflows for patient intake and financial counseling should be prepared to verify coverage status more frequently for Medicaid patients in affected states.