MedicaidBilling CodesMedium impact
National Correct Coding Initiative Quarterly Update for October 2026
Medi-Cal·CA·Coding
Effective date
Oct 1, 2026
We identified it
Sep 1, 2026
Summary
CMS has released the quarterly National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI) payment policy updates effective October 1, 2026. These mandatory national edits will be incorporated into the Medi-Cal claims processing system for all claims received on or after that date. The specific coding changes and edits are not detailed in this notice.
Action Required
By September 30, 2026: Billing team must obtain the complete NCCI quarterly update documentation from the Medicaid National Correct Coding Initiative page and review all applicable coding edits. Update billing software and claim validation rules to reflect the new NCCI edits before the October 1, 2026 effective date. Notify providers of any new coding restrictions or bundling rules that affect their specialties. Test claim submissions in staging environment to verify compliance. Claims submitted on or after October 1, 2026 that do not comply with updated NCCI edits will be denied or rejected by Medi-Cal.