Is C39.9 a billable ICD-10-CM code?

Yes. C39.9 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code and is valid for submission on a claim.

Where does C39.9 sit in the tabular list?

Neoplasms (C00-D49), in the block Malignant neoplasms of respiratory and intrathoracic organs (C30-C39).

What cannot be coded together with C39.9?

C39.9 carries Excludes1 notes, which means the conditions they list can never be coded together with it on the same encounter. Some are written on the categories above C39.9 (C39) and apply to it just the same.

C39.9

C39.9 — Malignant neoplasm of lower respiratory tract, part unspecified

Billable / specific codeICD-10-CM

C39.9 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code for malignant neoplasm of lower respiratory tract, part unspecified. It is valid for submission on a claim.

Inclusion terms

Alternative wordings a physician may use in the chart for this same code.

Malignant neoplasm of respiratory tract NOS

Excludes1 inherited from the categories above C39.9

These are not written on C39.9, but they bind it: a note on a category applies to every code beneath it. Billing C39.9 with anything listed here is a denial.

Written on C39 — Malignant neoplasm of other and ill-defined sites in the respiratory system and intrathoracic organs

intrathoracic malignant neoplasm NOS (C76.1)
thoracic malignant neoplasm NOS (C76.1)

Risk adjustment

C39.9 risk-adjusts. Under the CMS-HCC V28 model it maps to this category:

HCC 21 Lymphoma and Other Cancers0.671 RAF

Coefficient shown for the Community Non-dual Aged segment. A higher HCC in the same hierarchy will suppress this one, so capturing it does not always add score. Look up the whole chart to see which of its HCCs the hierarchy would zero.

Medicare coverage

C39.9 is named in 49 Medicare coverage policies — 49 listing it as supporting medical necessity. Which of them applies to you depends on your Medicare contractor, and coverage genuinely differs by state.

A52479Oral Anticancer Drugs - Policy Article
A52479Oral Anticancer Drugs - Policy Article
A52480Oral Antiemetic Drugs (Replacement for Intravenous Antiemetics) - Policy Article
A55315Billing and Coding: Proton Beam Therapy

Code history

C39.9 has not changed since FY2024 — no addition, revision or deletion across the FY2024–FY2027 ICD-10-CM releases.

Related codes at this level

Codes that share C39. If C39.9 is not quite right, the correct code is usually one of these.

C39.0Malignant neoplasm of upper respiratory tract, part unspecified

Questions about C39.9

Is C39.9 a billable ICD-10-CM code?: Yes. C39.9 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code and is valid for submission on a claim.
Where does C39.9 sit in the tabular list?: Neoplasms (C00-D49), in the block Malignant neoplasms of respiratory and intrathoracic organs (C30-C39).
What cannot be coded together with C39.9?: C39.9 carries Excludes1 notes, which means the conditions they list can never be coded together with it on the same encounter. Some are written on the categories above C39.9 (C39) and apply to it just the same.