UCR 303: Downcoding Is Surging — Is the Appeal Worth the Effort?

September 4, 2026

In this episode, Scott, Mark, Dr. Ray Painter, and special guest Marinne DeSciose take a deeper look at the sharp increase in payer downcoding and the growing workload it creates for urology practices. They discuss how downcoded E/M claims can quietly reduce revenue, why these adjustments may not show up clearly in traditional AR reports, and how practices can build workflows to identify, review, and appeal them efficiently. The team also explores when the return on investment justifies the additional staff time, how provider documentation and audit performance should influence the appeal process, and why practices need ongoing monitoring even after a payer appears to stop downcoding. The key takeaway: downcoding is becoming a significant revenue-cycle issue, and practices need a deliberate strategy to decide when to fight, when to change workflows, and when a payer relationship may no longer be worth the effort.