The 2026 Outpatient Prospective Payment System final rule isn’t for the faint of heart. CMS finalized many of the major changes from the proposed rule, although the agency did pull back on certain key areas. With big shifts in compliance and reimbursement taking effect, coders have their work cut out for them.
A number of Medicare telehealth flexibilities extensions in place until January 30, 2026, lapsed during the partial U.S. government shutdown that began January 31, 2026.
Emergency department visits resulting in outpatient treatment increased sharply, while visits leading to inpatient admission did not—particularly among Medicaid patients—according to research recently published in JAMA Health Forum.
The CPT manual includes many types of biopsies: fine needle aspiration (FNA), core needle, and skin (tangential, punch, and incisional). This article focuses mainly on FNA biopsies and its complicated guidelines, while also touching on core needle biopsies.
