AMA updates maternity care CPT coding for 2027

The American Medical Association is updating maternity care coding in what it describes as the most significant change in decades aimed at improving care delivery and data for maternal health. The changes are set to take effect Jan. 1, 2027, and will update current procedural terminology, or CPT, codes to better reflect modern obstetric care.

According to the AMA, the revision is intended to support more accurate and transparent reporting across the full pregnancy spectrum. The group says the updated codes will help create a stronger data foundation for improving care throughout the patient journey. The changes are also designed to give physicians, researchers and policymakers a clearer view of the care mothers receive during pregnancy and after delivery.

The update includes the deletion of 17 codes, the creation of six new codes and the revision of six existing codes. It also adds new subsections, revises guidelines and relocates some current codes. In addition, the new CPT codes will separately identify four phases of care: antepartum, labor management, delivery and postpartum.

The AMA said the coding changes were the result of nearly two years of collaboration among leading groups. The revision is supported by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Family Physicians.

The association also said there is no expected impact on health plan benefits or an increase in cost-sharing, based on an AMA analysis using data from more than 650 physicians and certified nursing midwives. That analysis was cited by the organization as part of its assessment of how the new codes may affect coverage and patient costs.

In a statement, AMA president Willie Underwood III, M.D., said, “Physicians cannot improve what they cannot measure.” He said the CPT revisions provide a clearer understanding of the care mothers receive throughout pregnancy and after delivery. Underwood added that the changes can help identify opportunities to improve quality, strengthen accountability and improve outcomes for mothers and babies.

The AMA framed the overhaul as part of a broader effort to align coding with current obstetric practice and to support better measurement in maternal health. By separating the stages of maternity care and revising existing code structures, the organization says the new framework should make reporting more accurate and more transparent.

The association did not report any change to health plan benefits tied to the update, and it said no increase in cost-sharing is expected. Beyond that, additional implementation details were not reported in the source material.

The new coding structure is scheduled to begin on Jan. 1, 2027. Until then, the current maternity care CPT framework remains in place. The AMA’s announcement positions the update as a long-planned effort to improve how maternity care is recorded, measured and analyzed, with the goal of supporting maternal health outcomes over time.