What’s the news: Nearly 300 codes have been added to the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) 2026 code set, designating the latest advances in medical, surgical and diagnostic services available to patients.
The open and rigorous process maintained by the independent CPT Editorial Panel—with broad input from the health care community, government and industry—produced 418 total changes reflected in the CPT 2026 code set. That includes 84 deletions and 46 revisions in addition to 288 new codes.
The CPT code set continues to expand in new areas of medicine, with proprietary laboratory analyses accounting for 27% of new codes. Category III CPT codes for emerging medical services accounted for another 27% of the new codes, supporting further innovation in health care.
New Category I CPT codes are effective for use as of Jan. 1, 2026. Key updates included in the CPT 2026 code set are new codes for digital health services like remote patient monitoring, medical services involving hearing devices and augmented intelligence (AI), and a comprehensive update of codes for leg revascularization.
Newly added codes respond to the continued emergence of technology that allows physicians and other health professionals to collect and analyze patients’ health care data and use that data to monitor and manage their patients’ acute and chronic conditions outside of a traditional clinical setting.
A growing body of clinical research has demonstrated patient benefits from remote monitoring over shorter durations than were previously captured in the CPT code set. To reflect these findings and ensure coding keeps pace with contemporary medicine, five new codes were created to report remote monitoring services over short periods of between two and 15 days within a 30-day period. Additionally, two new codes report remote monitoring treatment management after 10 minutes of service per calendar month, down from the previous 20-minute threshold.
Several new codes for AI services have been added that augment physician capabilities and improve patient care. These codes support patient access to innovative technologies that assist physicians by detecting clinically relevant data that might otherwise go unnoticed, or augment physician work by analyzing and quantifying data to produce clinically meaningful insights.
Here are some examples of new CPT codes related to health AI.
Coronary atherosclerotic plaque assessment is used to assess the severity of coronary disease, derived from augmentative software analysis of the data set from a coronary computed tomographic angiography.
Perivascular fat analysis for cardiac risk includes two codes for noninvasive assessment of cardiac risk derived from augmentative software analysis of perivascular fat with or without concurrent computed tomography (CT) scan of the heart.
Multispectral imaging for burn wounds is assistive algorithmic classification of burn healing (i.e., healing or nonhealing) by noninvasive multispectral imaging.
Detection of cardiac dysfunction is assistive algorithmic analysis of acoustic and electrocardiogram recording for detection of cardiac dysfunction (for example: reduced ejection fraction, cardiac murmurs or atrial fibrillation).
Another 12 codes have been introduced that reflect innovative approaches to providing hearing device services. These patient-centered approaches include:
- Assessing visual, dexterity and psychosocial factors.
- Validating device performance and sound quality.
- Providing training and support for patients using personal devices, such as smartphones, connected to their hearing devices.
The CPT code set section on leg revascularization has been comprehensively updated and modernized. Previous codes have been deleted and there will be 46 new codes. The update reflects technological advancements and evolving care delivery models, particularly the shift toward outpatient settings. The revised codes aim to improve access to advanced therapies that enhance mobility and functional status, especially for patients with persistent symptoms, such as pain, cramping, and fatigue, who have not responded to other medical treatments like medication or structured exercise.
Several existing codes, mainly for behavioral health services, have been added to CPT appendices P and T that list services rendered via audio-video or audio-only technologies that are recognized by the CPT Editorial Panel as correlating to in-person services. These additions increase flexibility in how behavioral health services are delivered, helping to overcome access barriers, especially in rural, underserved, and vulnerable communities.
Why it’s important: The CPT code set is trusted as the backbone of health data interoperability in the U.S. and provides the means for the nation’s data-driven health system to easily exchange medical service information.
As the uniform language of medicine, the CPT code set is essential to keeping care accessible, accountable, and fairly supported across the nation’s health system. Without this common language, patients’ access to care would be undermined, and the smooth flow of vital health information would be disrupted.
"CPT is more than a set of billing codes. The CPT code set allows for the seamless flow of complex medical information across the entire health system and has a foundational role in research, analysis and benchmarking of health care services and outcomes that promotes the delivery of high-quality care,” said AMA President-elect Willie Underwood, III, MD, MSc, MPH. “The health system increasingly relies on CPT to support a data infrastructure for value-based care adoption, preventive care access, and technological innovation acceleration.”
As the largest association of physicians and medical students in the U.S, the AMA is uniquely positioned to convene the editorial process to change and develop CPT codes, bringing unmatched scale, expertise and legitimacy to the task of standardizing medical service definitions.
Learn more: Catch up on the basics behind the CPT code set, including:
- Types of CPT codes.
- Why CPT codes matter for health care innovation.
- How a code becomes a code.
- How and when to apply for a CPT code.
- How to attend a CPT Editorial Panel meeting.
Physicians, practice managers and billing and coding professionals should consider attending the world’s only medical coding event to feature expert education from authorities on the CPT code set. Get guidance on the updates in the CPT 2026 code set by attending the virtual CPT & RBRVS 2026 Annual Symposium and learn more about the growing role that the CPT code set has in supporting value-based care and the adoption of innovative alternatives to the RBRVS payment model.
Coding books are available from the AMA storefront, including the CPT 2026 Professional Edition codebook. CPT data products, including the CPT 2026 Standard Data File and CPT educational content, are available via the AMA Intelligent Platform.
Also, stay updated on news and timely information about the CPT code set with the CPT News email newsletter. Subscribe now.
