New York Independent Health Assoc (IHA) - Western
Transition starts June 1, 2026
Effective June 1, 2026, Independent Health applies its antepartum billing transition across Commercial, Medicare, State Programs and Self-Funded products. For affected routine antepartum visits, report the appropriate E/M code (e.g., 99202-99215) with Modifier TH and a pregnancy-related O or Z ICD-10 diagnosis code; submit 0500F on the initial antepartum visit claim. E/M visits outside routine antepartum care are billed without TH. See transition notes for inconsistent cohort wording.
- Published
- 2026-06
- Transition starts
- June 1, 2026
- Billing starts
- June 1, 2026
- Evidence checked
- 2026-08-28
Billing notes and scope
- Codes affected
- Not published
- Modifiers
- Not published
- Global allowed through
- Not published
- Applies by
- Not published
- Product
- Not published
- Source excerpt
- Not published
Scope: Independent Health medical antepartum services across Commercial, Medicare, State Programs and Self-Funded products.
Transition: The State Products paragraph applies initiation on or after June 1, 2026 and/or expected delivery on or after January 1, 2027. The 59425/59426 denial paragraph uses initiation on or after June 1 alone, while the highlights describe initiation on or after June 1 with expected delivery on or after January 1. Confirm the intended cohort with Independent Health, particularly for earlier-established members expected to deliver in 2027. The article does not expressly authorize earlier-established members to retain current 2026 billing. It says a portal reimbursement-manual section with billing examples will be available as of June 1, 2026.
Global billing: For members initiating antepartum care on or after June 1, 2026, the article states that 59425 and 59426 are not reimbursable and submitted claim lines will deny. It does not establish comprehensive rules for other global maternity codes or expressly permit continued global billing for earlier-established members.
The source identifies Independent Health Association, Inc. and expressly names the covered product categories; it does not establish a separate Western-specific policy. This is operational 2026 transition guidance in preparation for the 2027 overhaul, not a complete 2027 replacement-code policy. Referenced portal materials were not provided for review.