E51.2 — Wernicke's encephalopathy
E51.2 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code for wernicke's encephalopathy. It is valid for submission on a claim.
Other codes that can never be billed with E51.2
These codes carry an Excludes1 note pointing at E51.2. The conflict binds both ways, but ICD-10-CM only writes it down on one side — so you would not find this by reading E51.2 alone.
- G32.8Other specified degenerative disorders of nervous system in diseases classified elsewhere
Risk adjustment
E51.2 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
E51.2 is named in 6 Medicare coverage policies — 6 listing it as supporting medical necessity. Which of them applies to you depends on your Medicare contractor, and coverage genuinely differs by state.
- A54969Billing and Coding: Nerve Conduction Studies and Electromyography
- A56619Billing and Coding: Nerve Conduction Studies and Electromyography
- A57307Billing and Coding: Nerve Conduction Studies and Electromyography
- A57326Billing and Coding: Electrocardiograms
How E51.2 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 E51.2.
- Polioencephalopathy, superior hemorrhagic
- Encephalopathy›Wernicke's
- Hemorrhage, hemorrhagic›polioencephalitis, superior
- Polioencephalitis›superior hemorrhagic(acute) (Wernicke's)
- Polioencephalitis›Wernicke's
- Polioencephalomyelitis›with beriberi
- Wernicke's›disease or syndrome
- Wernicke's›encephalopathy
- Wernicke's›polioencephalitis, superior
- Encephalopathy›vitamin B deficiency NEC›vitamin B1
- Degeneration, degenerative›brain›in›beriberi
Related codes at this level
Codes that share E51. If E51.2 is not quite right, the correct code is usually one of these.
Questions about E51.2
- Is E51.2 a billable ICD-10-CM code?
- Yes. E51.2 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code and is valid for submission on a claim.
- Where does E51.2 sit in the tabular list?
- Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E89), in the block Other nutritional deficiencies (E50-E64).