50949 Insurance Policy Changes

Prior authorization changes for February 1, 2026 – Medicare and Medicaid

Effective February 1, 2026, PacificSource is implementing new prior authorization requirements for Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare adds 20 procedure codes requiring prior auth (including arthroscopy, unlisted procedures, and specialized diagnostics) plus 3 codes requiring prior auth only when claims exceed $500. Medicaid adds 2 codes requiring prior auth. Billing teams must update systems and verify all affected codes before service delivery to avoid claim denials.