Is C44.299 a billable ICD-10-CM code?

Yes. C44.299 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code and is valid for submission on a claim.

Where does C44.299 sit in the tabular list?

Neoplasms (C00-D49), in the block Melanoma and other malignant neoplasms of skin (C43-C44).

What cannot be coded together with C44.299?

C44.299 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 C44.299 (C44.2, C44) and apply to it just the same.

C44.299

C44.299 — Other specified malignant neoplasm of skin of left ear and external auricular canal

Billable / specific codeICD-10-CMleft

C44.299 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code for other specified malignant neoplasm of skin of left ear and external auricular canal. It is valid for submission on a claim.

Excludes1 inherited from the categories above C44.299

These are not written on C44.299, but they bind it: a note on a category applies to every code beneath it. Billing C44.299 with anything listed here is a denial.

Written on C44.2 — Other and unspecified malignant neoplasm of skin of ear and external auricular canal

connective tissue of ear (C49.0)

Written on C44 — Other and unspecified malignant neoplasm of skin

Kaposi's sarcoma of skin (C46.0)
malignant melanoma of skin (C43.-)
malignant neoplasm of skin of genital organs (C51-C52, C60.-, C63.2)
Merkel cell carcinoma (C4A.-)

Other codes that can never be billed with C44.299

These codes carry an Excludes1 note pointing at C44.299. The conflict binds both ways, but ICD-10-CM only writes it down on one side — so you would not find this by reading C44.299 alone.

C76Malignant neoplasm of other and ill-defined sites

Risk adjustment

C44.299 does not map to an HCC and does not risk-adjust under CMS-HCC V28. That is normal — most ICD-10 codes do not. It still needs to be coded correctly; it just will not move a RAF score.

Medicare coverage

C44.299 is named in 68 Medicare coverage policies — 68 listing it as supporting medical necessity. Which of them applies to you depends on your Medicare contractor, and coverage genuinely differs by state.

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Code history

C44.299 has not changed since FY2024 — no addition, revision or deletion across the three most recent ICD-10-CM releases.

Related codes at this level

Codes that share C44.29. If C44.299 is not quite right, the correct code is usually one of these.

Questions about C44.299

Is C44.299 a billable ICD-10-CM code?: Yes. C44.299 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code and is valid for submission on a claim.
Where does C44.299 sit in the tabular list?: Neoplasms (C00-D49), in the block Melanoma and other malignant neoplasms of skin (C43-C44).
What cannot be coded together with C44.299?: C44.299 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 C44.299 (C44.2, C44) and apply to it just the same.