Important Changes to Plantar Fasciitis Coding Affect 2026 MIPS Heel Pain Reporting

October 20, 2026

Effective October 1, 2026, the ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes used to report plantar fasciitis have changed. The familiar diagnosis code M72.2 is no longer valid for billing purposes for dates of service beginning October 1, 2026, and has been replaced by more specific diagnosis codes.

This change also has an important impact on MIPS quality reporting for podiatrists participating in the Heel Pain Treatment Outcomes for Adults measure (REGCLR1).

What Has Changed?

Previously, ICD-10-CM code M72.2 was used for both plantar fasciitis and plantar fascial fibromatosis. Under the new coding system, these conditions have been separated, and new codes identify the affected foot.

The new ICD-10-CM codes for plantar fasciitis are:

• M67.A01 – Plantar fasciitis, right foot
• M67.A02 – Plantar fasciitis, left foot
• M67.A09 – Plantar fasciitis, unspecified foot

Separate codes have also been established for plantar fascial fibromatosis:

• M72.20 – Plantar fascial fibromatosis, unspecified foot
• M72.21 – Plantar fascial fibromatosis, right foot
• M72.22 – Plantar fascial fibromatosis, left foot

Podiatrists should make sure that their electronic health record (EHR) systems, billing software, and commonly used diagnosis-code lists have been updated to reflect these changes.

How Does This Affect MIPS Reporting?

One of the quality measures available to podiatrists is REGCLR1 – Heel Pain Treatment Outcomes for Adults. This measure evaluates the effectiveness of treatment by looking at whether patients experience a clinically significant reduction in heel pain following an intervention.

REGCLR1 is also one of the outcome measures included in the 2026 Podiatry MIPS Value Pathway (MVP).

Because the diagnosis codes used to identify eligible patients changed during the performance year, the reporting period for this measure has been truncated, ending September 30, 2026, rather than December 31, 2026.

This means that, for purposes of the 2026 REGCLR1 measure, the applicable reporting period is January 1 through September 30, 2026.

The change does not eliminate the Heel Pain measure from the 2026 MIPS program. Instead, it shortens the period during which qualifying patient encounters are evaluated.

What Does This Mean for Podiatrists?

If you have been reporting the Heel Pain measure during 2026, the first nine months of the year remain important. Qualifying encounters and treatment outcomes during that period may still be used to calculate your performance on the measure.

There are several important points to understand.

First, the shortened reporting period does not mean that you should stop documenting heel pain treatment outcomes. Appropriate clinical documentation remains important for patient care, and the new diagnosis codes must be used for services provided beginning October 1.

Second, the coding change does not mean that the entire 2026 MIPS reporting period has been shortened. The change applies to the Heel Pain measure, not to all the other quality measures available to podiatrists.

Finally, if you are participating in the Podiatry MVP, remember that the Heel Pain measure is one of several quality measures available for reporting. You should review your performance across the measures you have selected to make sure you are meeting the requirements for the 2026 reporting year.

What Happens Next?

The October 1 coding changes will need to be incorporated into the Heel Pain measure specifications for future reporting periods if the measure is to continue capturing patients diagnosed with plantar fasciitis.

For 2026, podiatrists who have been reporting REGCLR1 should review their data from January 1 through September 30 and make sure that qualifying encounters and patient outcomes have been properly recorded.

The key point is that the change to the plantar fasciitis diagnosis codes affects more than billing. It also affects how clinical quality is measured and reported under MIPS. Understanding that distinction will help podiatrists avoid confusion when reviewing their 2026 quality performance.