AHA Coding Clinic for ICD-10-CM/PCS AHA Coding Clinic Newsletter

What Is in the AHA’s Coding Clinic First Quarter 2026 Release for ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS?

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ICD-10; ICD-10-CM; ICD-10-PCS; medical coding; Q2; 2024; Coding Clinic

AHA Coding Clinic for ICD-10-CM/PCS AHA Coding Clinic Newsletter

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The First Quarter 2026 newsletter of AHA Coding Clinic for ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS will be released March 15, 2026. Let’s explore some of the highlights!

The first quarter newsletter provides a summary of the modifications to the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting changes effective April 1, 2026. There are no new ICD-10-CM codes and 80 new ICD-10-PCS codes. In addition, there are 0 revised and 2 deleted ICD-10-PCS codes. There are no ICD-10-PCS Guidelines changes for April 1, 2026.

The newsletter also includes 25 question and answers addressing the following topics:

  • Insertion into Ventricular Septum
  • Extraction of Omentum and Mesentery
  • Transfer of Bladder
  • Resection of Prostate with Intact Capsule
  • Dementia and Hypothyroidism
  • Adverse Effects of Injectable Non-Insulin Antidiabetic Drug
  • Long-Term Use of Semaglutide or Tirzepatide
  • Gastroparesis Due to Tirzepatide
  • Insertion of Two Impella® Devices During Separate Operative Episodes
  • Starvation Ketoacidosis
  • Cesarean Delivery Without a Current Medical Indication
  • Cesarean Delivery Due to History of Shoulder Dystocia
  • North-South Syndrome (NSS)
  • Liver Cirrhosis Due to Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)
  • Liver Cirrhosis Due to Hepatitis C
  • Acute Kidney Failure Due to Rhabdomyolysis
  • Low Back Pain
  • Ruptured Ovarian Cyst
  • Acute Myocarditis Due to Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
  • Sepsis Due to Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
  • Thrombocytopenia and Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC)
  • Correction: NSTEMI Due to Graft Thrombosis
  • Clarification: Interbody Fusion New Technology Device Value
  • Clarification: Laminoplasty Internal Fixation Device

Terms to Know

Human heart graphic

Review the following terms to help understand the modifications that go into effect April 1:

TERMDEFINITION
Ventricular septumThe muscular wall that divides the right and left ventricles. 
Prostate capsule Nonglandular thin fibromuscular band of tissue that surrounds the prostate tissue. 
Embryonic stem cells Cells derived from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst of an early stage embryo. They are not harvested from cord blood and they are not blood products. 
Microcurrent electrical neuromuscular stimulation (MENS) Non-invasive, frequency specific microcurrent (FSM) therapies that are used to treat pain and inflammation, improve circulation, and promote tissue regeneration. The low-level currents trigger bioelectrical activity on a cellular level by stimulating the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP)  

Those are just the highlights! The ICD-10-CM guidelines are posted on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) website. The April 1, 2026, ICD-10-PCS updates, including the complete list of ICD-10-PCS code titles, Index, Addenda, and a Conversion Table, are available on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) website.  

As always, please read the First Quarter 2026 AHA Coding Clinic for ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS entirely for the best source of medical coding information to apply to professional coding.  

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