I was reading through the FY 2026 ICD-10-CM updates that the CDC released just a few days ago — and it struck me again how these annual updates do more than tweak our code books. They tell a story about where healthcare is headed.
This year, that story is one of greater precision and accountability. With over 300 new codes, dozens of deletions, and many revised descriptions, the FY 2026 updates continue to push us to capture not just what a patient has, but how it affects them — and how we can act on it.
Some of the trends stood out right away. There are new codes to better document complications during pregnancy, more granular options for behavioral health conditions, and clearer descriptions for chronic conditions that play a big role in care planning and risk adjustment. All of this supports a healthcare landscape that relies more and more on clean, specific, actionable data.
And of course, there’s the perennial reminder: if a code is being deleted, you need to know exactly what’s replacing it before October 1 rolls around. Now’s the time to get familiar — the tables, addenda, and CMS conversion files are already available, even if the official guidelines aren’t posted yet.
This isn’t just a job for coders. It’s work that should involve clinicians, documentation specialists, auditors, and anyone whose role depends on telling the most complete, accurate story of patient care.
So yes — I was just reading through code updates. But like every year, they’re so much more than new numbers in a book. They’re a reminder of our responsibility — and our opportunity — to keep telling the story of healthcare better every year.
-Written by Kathrain O’Keefe, CPC, CPMA, CRC