October 16th, 2026

Dear Kids Health First (KHF) Providers and Practice Administrators,

We have some important updates about payor updates, new programs, and upcoming events. There's a lot of information, and we want to keep you informed. Please read through this email carefully and let us know if you have any questions.

Important Updates

Prepare Your Practice for Freezing Weather: Take 10 Minutes Now

A few minutes of preparation now can help protect your practice and reduce disruptions when freezing weather arrives. SophistiPrax encourages practices to take 10 minutes this week to review their freeze preparedness plans and confirm key responsibilities.

Before temperatures drop:

Review your resources: Read the Freeze Event Toolkit and Quick Steps Guide (password: ColdWeather)

Assign responsibilities: Confirm who will monitor weather conditions and make decisions about practice operations.

Locate water shut-offs: Make sure key staff know where they are and how to access them.

Protect your building: Review steps to protect pipes and other vulnerable areas.

Update emergency contacts: Confirm contact information for your landlord, plumber, HVAC provider, restoration company, and other key vendors.

Confirm communication plans: Make sure leadership knows how staff and patients will be notified if operations are affected.

Access the Cold Weather Toolkit from SophistiPrax to get started. Password: ColdWeather

AAP Highlights Updated Diagnosis Codes for Pediatric Practices

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has highlighted fiscal year 2027 ICD-10-CM diagnosis code updates, effective for services provided on or after October 1, 2026.

Updates include new or revised codes for cardiac conditions, childhood hypertrophic pyloric stenosis, genetic syndromes, plantar fasciitis, and other conditions relevant to pediatric care.

Practices are encouraged to share these updates with providers, billing staff, and coding teams and update coding resources to support accurate code selection.

Review the AAP article for details on the changes and additional coding resources.

Upcoming Webinar: EPIC® Promoting Vaccine Confidence

Join the Georgia AAP’s EPIC® Immunization Program for a session on understanding vaccine hesitancy and strengthening vaccine confidence among patients and families.

Date: Tuesday, October 27, 2026

Time: 12:30–1:30 p.m. EDT

Presenter: Ralph Peeler, MD, EPIC® Immunization Advisory Committee member and

Georgia AAP EPIC® Immunization Program trainer

Participants will learn to identify types of vaccine hesitancy, recognize sources of vaccine misinformation, understand potential consequences of hesitancy, and describe strategies providers can use to address vaccine concerns.