Quarterly and National Coverage Coding Revisions You Can’t Ignore
ICD-10-CM is updated not just annually but multiple times per year through National Coverage Determinations (NCDs) and quarterly releases. Recent changes in April 2026 and earlier in July 2025 remind coders that guidelines shift subtly throughout the year, affecting diagnosis reporting and payer rules. It’s not enough to learn once — you need ongoing review habits like checking official CMS coding updates and guideline changes, especially before exams or clinical rotations.
Study habit: Set a recurring weekly reminder to scan CMS or AHIMA update pages — even 15 minutes a week keeps you ahead of surprise edits.