KZA Alert: 2026 UnitedHealthcare Policy Changes

UnitedHealthcare has announced three major policy changes taking effect in early 2026 that will directly impact claim submission, documentation, and reimbursement for medical practices.In this KZA Alert, we break down:New mandatory anatomical modifier requirements for surgical and radiology claimsEnforcement of ICD-10-CM Excludes1 coding rules across outpatient and professional servicesUpdated radiology interpretation documentation standards required for professional component reimbursementThis rapid-response update is designed to help practice leaders, coders, billers, and compliance teams understand what’s changing, when it takes effect, and what actions to take now to avoid denials and payment delays.Links to source documentation (including UnitedHealthcare policy updates, the 2026 ICD-10-CM coding guidelines, and CPT references) are available in the corresponding web version of this alert.KZA Web Alert: https://www.kzanow.com/alerts/united-healthcare-policy-changes