Is K27.3 a billable ICD-10-CM code?

Yes. K27.3 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code and is valid for submission on a claim.

Where does K27.3 sit in the tabular list?

Diseases of the digestive system (K00-K95), in the block Diseases of esophagus, stomach and duodenum (K20-K31).

What cannot be coded together with K27.3?

K27.3 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 K27.3 (K27) and apply to it just the same.

K27.3

K27.3 — Acute peptic ulcer, site unspecified, without hemorrhage or perforation

Billable / specific codeICD-10-CM

K27.3 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code for acute peptic ulcer, site unspecified, without hemorrhage or perforation. It is valid for submission on a claim.

Excludes1 inherited from the categories above K27.3

These are not written on K27.3, but they bind it: a note on a category applies to every code beneath it. Billing K27.3 with anything listed here is a denial.

Written on K27 — Peptic ulcer, site unspecified

peptic ulcer of newborn (P78.82)

Other codes that can never be billed with K27.3

These codes carry an Excludes1 note pointing at K27.3. The conflict binds both ways, but ICD-10-CM only writes it down on one side — so you would not find this by reading K27.3 alone.

K25Gastric ulcer
K26Duodenal ulcer
K63.3Ulcer of intestine

Risk adjustment

K27.3 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

K27.3 is named in 4 Medicare coverage policies — 4 listing it as supporting medical necessity. Which of them applies to you depends on your Medicare contractor, and coverage genuinely differs by state.

A56389Billing and Coding: Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and Visualization
A56421Billing and Coding: CT of the Abdomen and Pelvis
A57063Billing and Coding: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Esophagogastroduodenoscopy
A57414Billing and Coding: Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (Diagnostic and Therapeutic)

How K27.3 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 K27.3.

Ulcer, ulcerated, ulcerating, ulceration, ulcerative›peptic›acute

Code history

K27.3 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 K27. If K27.3 is not quite right, the correct code is usually one of these.

Questions about K27.3

Is K27.3 a billable ICD-10-CM code?: Yes. K27.3 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code and is valid for submission on a claim.
Where does K27.3 sit in the tabular list?: Diseases of the digestive system (K00-K95), in the block Diseases of esophagus, stomach and duodenum (K20-K31).
What cannot be coded together with K27.3?: K27.3 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 K27.3 (K27) and apply to it just the same.