New CPT codes for MILD Effective Jan 01, 2026

HC Intellect
Nov 4, 2025
5 min read

Updated: 2 days ago

Memo

Date: November 5, 2025

To: All Providers, APPs, Clinical Staff, Scheduling, Billing & Coding

From: Medical Director & Coding Director

Subject: New CPT codes for MILD Effective Jan 01, 2026

Bottom Line

The MILD procedure will transition to new Category I CPT codes: 62330 (first interspace) and 62331 (additional interspaces) effective starting January 1, 2026. Reimbursement has not yet been published.

Overview of the change

Feature	CPT Code 0275T	CPT Code 62330
Code Type	Temporary Category III code.	Permanent Category I code.
Status in 2026	Deleted.	Active and billable.
Procedure	Percutaneous decompressive laminotomy/laminectomy for neural decompression.	Decompression, percutaneous, with partial removal of the ligamentum flavum, including laminotomy for access, epidurography, and imaging guidance, for one lumbar interspace.
Significance	As a temporary code, its use was often associated with clinical trials and required specific approval by payers.	Its conversion to a Category I code signals that the procedure is now considered established and more likely to be covered by insurance.

What this means for medical billing

For medical billing and coding professionals, this change requires updating documentation and billing systems to use code 62330 instead of 0275T for procedures performed on or after January 1, 2026. For the first time, this update also introduces an add-on code, 62331, to report each additional interspace treated.

Cervical and thoracic regions

The AMA's 2026 CPT code update does not include new codes for this specific percutaneous decompression procedure in the cervical or thoracic regions.

Important considerations

Payer policies: Even with the new Category I codes, reimbursement is not guaranteed. Billing professionals should contact payers to confirm their specific coverage and documentation requirements for these new procedures.

AMA added two Category I CPT® codes (effective Jan 1, 2026) that describe the percutaneous ligamentum-flavum decompression procedure, and those codes currently apply to the lumbar region:

62330 — Decompression, percutaneous, with partial removal of the ligamentum flavum, including laminotomy for access, epidurography, and imaging guidance (ie, CT or fluoroscopy), bilateral; one interspace, lumbar. (Category I; replaces Category III code 0275T for lumbar procedures effective 1/1/2026).
62331 — Add-on code: Decompression, percutaneous, with partial removal of the ligamentum flavum … additional interspace(s), lumbar (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure).

Below is a concise, referenced “comprehensive list” and practical billing notes.

Comprehensive list (CPT® 2026 relevant codes for this procedure)

CPT code	Short Descriptor	Region / use	Effective date	Notes / status
62330	Decompression, percutaneous, with partial removal of the ligamentum flavum, including laminotomy for access, epidurography, and imaging guidance; bilateral; one interspace, lumbar	Primary procedure — lumbar (first interspace)	Jan 1, 2026	Category I. Replaces Category III code 0275T for lumbar procedures (0275T deleted for lumbar as of 2026). RUC recommended wRVU noted in RUC minutes.
62331	Same procedure — additional interspace(s), lumbar (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure)	Add-on for each additional lumbar interspace treated	Jan 1, 2026	Add-on code — report once for each additional interspace treated beyond the primary 1 interspace. RUC recommended wRVU also documented.

What happened to the old Category III codes

0275T (Category III) — which described the percutaneous laminotomy/laminectomy for lumbar decompression (commonly used for the mild® technique) is being replaced by 62330 (Category I) for lumbar procedures effective 1/1/2026; 0275T is no longer the correct code for new claims dated on/after 1/1/2026.
0274T historically described percutaneous laminotomy/laminectomy for cervical/thoracic regions. As of the AMA 2026 releases and the public materials reviewed, no Category I successor codes for cervical or thoracic (equivalent to 62330/62331 for lumbar) were published in the 2026 CPT set. That means cervical/thoracic percutaneous decompression procedures remain described by the existing Category III code 0274T (or whatever current Category III codes/policy your payer recognizes) until a Category I code is issued for those regions. Confirm with the AMA CPT code set / payer guidance for any local variations.

Additional technical details

AMA / RUC documents list 62330 and 62331 in the 2026 RUC/CPT materials and show the descriptors and the RUC recommended wRVUs. These are the primary authoritative sources for the new descriptors and valuation recommendations.
Industry summaries and coding publishers (Decision Health, AAPC summaries, specialty society notes) confirm that the Category III code 0275T (lumbar) is being replaced by CPT 62330/62331 effective 1/1/2026 and emphasize the need to update billing systems.

Practical billing / coding action items

Update your code tables / EHR / billing systems to include 62330 (primary) and 62331 (add-on) as of service date 01/01/2026. Disable use of 0275T for lumbar procedures on and after that date.
Training / documentation: Revise procedure templates and operative notes to specifically document: (a) which interspace(s) were treated, (b) imaging guidance used (CT or fluoroscopy), (c) bilateral/unilateral status if relevant, and (d) whether additional interspaces were treated (to support reporting 62331 add-on).
Payer checks: Notify payers (and check payer bulletins) — some commercial and Medicare contractors may publish medical-policy language or claim-edits tied to the prior Category III codes; confirm whether payers will require preauthorization or specific diagnosis criteria (for example, lumbar spinal stenosis with ligamentum flavum hypertrophy). Many payers have existing policies for image-guided minimally invasive decompression that you should reconcile with the new CPT coding.
Crosswalk / denial prevention: For claims around the transition (late 2025 → early 2026), ensure date-of-service vs. code effective-date rules are followed: use 0275T for dates of service prior to 1/1/2026 (if payer still recognizes it), and use 62330/62331 for dates of service on/after 1/1/2026. Avoid mixing old/new codes for the same DOS.
Charge master / facility updates: Update APC grouping / facility code mapping (if your facility bills hospital outpatient/ASC charges) because the transition from a Category III to a Category I code typically changes APC/HOPD/ASC payment mapping. Coordinate with revenue cycle and finance.

Summary / short bottom line for your RCM & coding teams

New CPTs (Jan 1, 2026): 62330 (primary, lumbar, one interspace) and 62331 (add-on for each additional lumbar interspace). Use these for lumbar percutaneous decompression on/after 1/1/2026.
0275T is replaced for lumbar — update systems and documentation now.
Cervical and thoracic percutaneous decompression remain coded via existing Category III code(s) (eg, 0274T) - no Category I cervical/thoracic replacement was published in CPT® 2026 materials available to date. Confirm with AMA CPT® 2026 code book or payer guidance for any later edits.

Key Notes for Documentation

Effective Date: January 1, 2026

Source: AMA CPT® 2026 Code Set

Old Code (2025 and prior)	New Code (Effective 1/1/2026)	Region / Description	Code Type	Status	Notes / Billing Guidance
0275T	62330	Lumbar — Decompression, percutaneous, with partial removal of the ligamentum flavum, including laminotomy for access, epidurography, and imaging guidance; one interspace	Category I	Active (effective 1/1/26)	Replaces 0275T for lumbar region rocedures. Use for the first interspace treated.
(none - new add-on)	62331	Lumbar — Each additional interspace treated (List separately in addition to primary code 62330)	Category I (Add-on)	Active (effective 1/1/26)	Use with 62330 only. Do not report on 62331 alone.
0274T	No Changes in 2026	Cervical / Thoracic — Percutaneous laminotomy/laminectomy for decompression of neural elements, any method	Category III	Still active	No Category I replacement yet. Continue to use 0274T until AMA issues a new code.

— End of Memo —

HC Intellect is a Milwaukee-based healthcare revenue cycle management (RCM) and technology firm with a deep specialization in interventional pain management and related surgical specialties. The company partners closely with pain practices and ASCs to optimize coding, billing, and collections across the full revenue cycle, with particular expertise in complex procedure coding, E&M optimization, and payer-specific reimbursement challenges unique to interventional pain. By combining experienced RCM teams with proprietary analytics and AI-driven tools, HC Intellect helps pain practices reduce denials, accelerate cash flow, and sustainably improve financial performance.