Is D44.6 a billable ICD-10-CM code?

Yes. D44.6 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code and is valid for submission on a claim.

Where does D44.6 sit in the tabular list?

Neoplasms (C00-D49), in the block Neoplasms of uncertain behavior, polycythemia vera and myelodysplastic syndromes (D37-D48).

What cannot be coded together with D44.6?

D44.6 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 D44.6 (D44) and apply to it just the same.

D44.6

D44.6 — Neoplasm of uncertain behavior of carotid body

Billable / specific codeICD-10-CM

D44.6 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code for neoplasm of uncertain behavior of carotid body. It is valid for submission on a claim.

Excludes1 inherited from the categories above D44.6

These are not written on D44.6, but they bind it: a note on a category applies to every code beneath it. Billing D44.6 with anything listed here is a denial.

Written on D44 — Neoplasm of uncertain behavior of endocrine glands

multiple endocrine adenomatosis (E31.2-)
multiple endocrine neoplasia (E31.2-)
neoplasm of uncertain behavior of endocrine pancreas (D37.8)
neoplasm of uncertain behavior of ovary (D39.1-)
neoplasm of uncertain behavior of testis (D40.1-)
neoplasm of uncertain behavior of thymus (D38.4)

Risk adjustment

D44.6 risk-adjusts. Under the CMS-HCC V28 model it maps to this category:

HCC 23 Prostate, Breast, and Other Cancers and Tumors0.186 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.

Medicare coverage

D44.6 is named in 25 Medicare coverage policies — 25 listing it as supporting medical necessity. Which of them applies to you depends on your Medicare contractor, and coverage genuinely differs by state.

A52480Oral Antiemetic Drugs (Replacement for Intravenous Antiemetics) - Policy Article
A52992Billing and Coding: Non-Invasive Cerebrovascular Arterial Studies
A56462Billing and Coding: Erythropoiesis Stimulating Agents (ESA)
A56580Billing and Coding: Computerized Axial Tomography (CT), Thorax

How D44.6 is indexed

Coders do not find codes by browsing the tabular list — they look them up in the alphabetic index, under the word the physician wrote. These are the index entries that lead here, so you can see which chart wordings map to D44.6.

Paraganglioma›carotid body
Tumor›carotid body

Code history

D44.6 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 D44. If D44.6 is not quite right, the correct code is usually one of these.

Questions about D44.6

Is D44.6 a billable ICD-10-CM code?: Yes. D44.6 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code and is valid for submission on a claim.
Where does D44.6 sit in the tabular list?: Neoplasms (C00-D49), in the block Neoplasms of uncertain behavior, polycythemia vera and myelodysplastic syndromes (D37-D48).
What cannot be coded together with D44.6?: D44.6 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 D44.6 (D44) and apply to it just the same.