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2027 Substrate Maternity Resource Center

Global billing for maternity is ending.

Today, maternity care is largely billed using a "global" code. Beginning January 1, 2027, CPT revisions will allow care to be reported more granularly at the service level. January 1 is the CPT effective date, but each payer might choose to transition billing on their own timeline.

The 2027 Substrate Maternity Resource Center tracks which of your payers are moving off global maternity billing, so you can adapt proactively. For more background, see the AMA CPT 2027 maternity care services update.

197Tracked Payers
54confirmed 2027 guidance
43proposed but not final
25pending payer guidance
16awareness notice only
59policies unchanged

Current As Of October 2026

Billing tools

Turn payer policy into billing instructions

Standardized biller rubric

What to bill, by payer

Visit-date and EDD triggers, visit-count rules, codes to bill, modifiers, diagnosis and Category II requirements, cost share, and payer contacts, each tied to the verbatim source passage.

Open the rubric →

Encounter billing calculator

Check a single encounter

Enter the state, payer or plan, date of service, delivery date or EDD, visit number, and service phase to get that payer's own maternity billing instruction with its source.

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Interactive policy explorer

Find a payer or transition date

State results include exact state records and clearly labeled national commercial guidance. National guidance does not confirm a state-plan, Medicaid, or Medicare Advantage policy.

Showing 1 of 197 • All states • All statuses

Confirmed 2027 guidance

Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield

ARTransition starts May 15, 2026

For Arkansas Blue Cross members, follow the recommended maternity billing phases based on the date of the initial prenatal visit for confirmation of pregnancy. The first non-global phase begins May 15, 2026; complete 2027 billing instructions are not supplied here.

Published
2026-05-04
Transition starts
May 15, 2026
Billing starts
Initial prenatal confirmation-visit cohorts beginning May 15, 2026
Evidence checked
2026-08-28
Billing notes and scope

Scope: Maternity medical billing for Arkansas Blue Cross members; specific commercial and Medicare product applicability is not identified.

Transition: For initial prenatal visits for confirmation of pregnancy: until May 15, 2026, global obstetric codes still may be used; May 15–July 14, use 59426 + delivery only; July 15–September 1, use 59425 + delivery. Further guidance is promised for visits on or after September 1, creating an unresolved overlap on that date.

Global billing: Global obstetric codes still may be used for the initial-visit cohort described as 'Until May 15, 2026.' Subsequent listed cohorts use 59426 + delivery only, then 59425 + delivery. These recommendations do not establish a blanket cutoff for all global claims.

This document supplies recommended 2026 transition phases ahead of the January 1, 2027 CPT changes. It does not identify product-level applicability or establish whether later guidance was subsequently issued. The supplied files do not substantiate the archive-provenance or August 28 search-history assertions. Clarify the September 1 boundary and the July phase's delivery wording before applying them.

Client-ready download

Download your payer-mix guide and policies

One download, two files: a tailored PDF guide (cover summary, selected payers and states, the evaluation rubric, and one page per policy document with verbatim payer guidance and source links) plus a policy packet with source links and summaries for every selected payer.

Select at least one payer card above to build a guide.

Frequently asked questions

What you need to know

Is global billing for maternity ending everywhere at once?

No. CPT revisions take effect January 1, 2027, but that is not each payer's billing date. Search tracked payers to see who published a transition date, whose guidance is still proposed, and whose policies are unchanged.

What is changing about maternity billing in 2027?

Today, maternity care is largely reported using a global code. Beginning January 1, 2027, CPT revisions will allow care to be reported more granularly at the service level. Whether and when a payer moves off global billing depends on that payer's own policy.

How do I see what’s changing by payer in my market?

Search the 2027 Substrate Maternity Resource Center by payer, then open the primary policy. Confirm the transition and billing dates, and recheck the source before submitting claims. This is policy intelligence, not coding or legal advice.

Can I download policies for multiple payers?

Yes. Select payer cards and download an offline source packet containing the policy summary plus links to the maternity policy and the payer policy homepage. The source documents remain on each payer's website.

Disclaimer

The information provided on this page is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute billing, coding, or reimbursement advice. Nothing on this page should be relied upon as a substitute for clinician assessment, professional billing guidance, or as a definitive statement of any payor's billing requirements or policies.

Payor agreements, fee schedules, and billing policies vary and are subject to change. Before submitting any claims related to maternity care services, including claims affected by the 2027 CPT code revisions, please consult the applicable payor agreements, coverage policies, and billing guidelines to confirm current requirements for their specific payor contracts.

Substrate makes no representation or warranty regarding the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the payor-specific information presented here. Providers are solely responsible for ensuring that all claims are submitted in accordance with applicable payor requirements, and Substrate assumes no liability for claim denials, underpayments, or other adverse outcomes arising from reliance on this information.

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