2026 ICD-10 Updates Going Into Effect on October 1

Every fall, we see the leaves change and the return of football, and come October, the new ICD-10 diagnoses take effect. Several updates are being made to the codes used by rehabilitation therapists. For 2026, the update includes 487 new diagnosis codes, 38 R-code revisions, and 28 invalidated or deleted codes. The full version of the 2026 code set is available for free from CMS at https://www.cms.gov/medicare/coding-billing/icd-10-codes. We’ll hit the highlights here.

Among the significant expansions in available diagnoses are the changes to Multiple Sclerosis. The current diagnosis code for MS is G35. This will not be a valid diagnosis for 2026, as a significant expansion in the specificity is replacing it.

Another area of specificity expansion involves pain diagnosis codes for Pelvic Pain and Flank Pain:

The 2026 code set also expanded the diagnoses available for non-pressure chronic ulcers. This update adds 129 codes to cover the face, neck, hands, forearms, arms, chest, abdomen, and groin.

There are also new diagnosis codes with increased specificity added for contusions to the midsection of the body:

Addressing all 553 coding changes in this article would be challenging. It's wise to review the diagnoses you'll be using for your patients during the September and October transition to the 2026 ICD-10 Diagnosis Codes. And don’t be surprised when you find you are presented with more specific codes for some conditions than you are used to seeing.

For WebPT Members, be aware that all WebPT EMR products (SOAP 1 & 2, Therabill, Insight, and Insight Go) will implement the new 2026 ICD-10 codes on October 1, 2025.