Editorial Policy

MedicalCodingUpdates.com is committed to accuracy, source transparency and professional education. This policy explains how content is researched, written, reviewed and maintained.

Sources

• Sources are identified wherever practical, and every regulatory, news or update article names a primary source with a direct link.
• Regulatory updates are traced to authoritative sources: CMS, CDC/NCHS, HHS, OIG, the Federal Register, the AMA, WHO, FDA, ASTP/ONC, state Medicaid agencies, Medicare Administrative Contractors, official payer policy documents, peer-reviewed literature and official government publications.
• Secondary media may be used for context, but never in place of the primary source when the original is available. When a figure comes from a secondary summary, we say so.
• We never invent citations, URLs, studies, regulatory changes, effective dates or coding rules.

Verification

Before an update is published, an editor confirms:

1. The primary source exists and says what the article says it says.
2. Effective dates, rule numbers and figures match the source.
3. The article states its jurisdiction and scope (federal, state, payer or plan-specific).
4. Coding statements are consistent with the current official guidelines and code sets.

If a claim cannot yet be verified, it is labeled Verification pending and is not presented as established fact. Articles carrying a "Do Not Publish Without Verification" flag cannot move to publication until that flag is cleared.

Fact, analysis and opinion

Factual reporting is separated from interpretation. Analysis, predictions and opinion are labeled as such. In articles about AI and emerging technology, verified findings are kept apart from forecasts.

Original content and copyright

Articles are original explanatory content, not rewritten copies of source announcements. We do not reproduce proprietary code books, paid coding resources or CPT® descriptors beyond what is legally permitted, and we do not reproduce Coding Clinic content. Trademarks are used only in an informational, nominative way.

AI-assisted content

AI tools may assist with research organization or drafting. AI-assisted content is never published automatically. Every such article goes through the same workflow as any other:

Source identified → Source reviewed → Facts extracted → Article drafted → Technical review → Sources checked → Effective dates checked → Human approval → Published

The named author or reviewer is accountable for the published text.

Updates and freshness

• Each article stores its publication date, last-modified date, effective date (when applicable) and review date.
• Articles may be updated when guidance changes. Significant changes are noted on the article.
• When a rule changes materially, we either update the original article or publish a new one and clearly link the superseded article.
• We never change publication dates to make old content appear new.

Authors and accountability

Every article has a real, named author or editor with a public profile describing their qualifications, experience and any professional disclosures. See the authors page.

Coding decisions

Coding information should always be verified against the current official guidelines and applicable payer policies before it is applied. Our content is educational and is not legal, medical or individualized reimbursement advice. See the disclaimer.

Questions

Editorial questions can be sent through the contact page. To report an error, see the corrections policy.