Is M79.A a billable ICD-10-CM code?

No. M79.A is a non-billable header code. Code to a higher level of specificity using one of its child codes.

Where does M79.A sit in the tabular list?

Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99), in the block Other soft tissue disorders (M70-M79).

What cannot be coded together with M79.A?

M79.A 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 M79.A (M79) and apply to it just the same.

M79.A

M79.A — Nontraumatic compartment syndrome

Non-billable headerICD-10-CM

M79.A is a non-billable header ICD-10-CM code for nontraumatic compartment syndrome. It cannot be billed on its own: choose one of the more specific child codes below.

Excludes1 — never code together

These conditions cannot occur together. Billing both on the same encounter is a denial.

compartment syndrome NOS (T79.A-)
fibromyalgia (M79.7)
nontraumatic ischemic infarction of muscle (M62.2-)
traumatic compartment syndrome (T79.A-)

Code first

The underlying condition must be sequenced before this code.

, if applicable, associated postprocedural complication

Excludes1 inherited from the categories above M79.A

These are not written on M79.A, but they bind it: a note on a category applies to every code beneath it. Billing M79.A with anything listed here is a denial.

Written on M79 — Other and unspecified soft tissue disorders, not elsewhere classified

psychogenic rheumatism (F45.8)
soft tissue pain, psychogenic (F45.41)

Other codes that can never be billed with M79.A

These codes carry an Excludes1 note pointing at M79.A. The conflict binds both ways, but ICD-10-CM only writes it down on one side — so you would not find this by reading M79.A alone.

M62.2Nontraumatic ischemic infarction of muscle
T79.ATraumatic compartment syndrome

Risk adjustment

M79.A 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.

Code history

M79.A has not changed since FY2024 — no addition, revision or deletion across the three most recent ICD-10-CM releases.

Code to one of these instead M79.A

4 child codes. Green means billable.

Related codes at this level

Codes that share M79. If M79.A is not quite right, the correct code is usually one of these.

Questions about M79.A

Is M79.A a billable ICD-10-CM code?: No. M79.A is a non-billable header code. Code to a higher level of specificity using one of its child codes.
Where does M79.A sit in the tabular list?: Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99), in the block Other soft tissue disorders (M70-M79).
What cannot be coded together with M79.A?: M79.A 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 M79.A (M79) and apply to it just the same.