Is Q38.3 a billable ICD-10-CM code?

Yes. Q38.3 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code and is valid for submission on a claim.

Where does Q38.3 sit in the tabular list?

Congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-QA0), in the block Other congenital malformations of the digestive system (Q38-Q45).

Q38.3

Q38.3 — Other congenital malformations of tongue

Billable / specific codeICD-10-CMPOA exempt

Q38.3 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code for other congenital malformations of tongue. It is valid for submission on a claim.

Inclusion terms

Alternative wordings a physician may use in the chart for this same code.

Aglossia
Bifid tongue
Congenital adhesion of tongue
Congenital fissure of tongue
Congenital malformation of tongue NOS
Double tongue
Hypoglossia
Hypoplasia of tongue
Microglossia

Other codes that can never be billed with Q38.3

These codes carry an Excludes1 note pointing at Q38.3. The conflict binds both ways, but ICD-10-CM only writes it down on one side — so you would not find this by reading Q38.3 alone.

K14.5Plicated tongue

Risk adjustment

Q38.3 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

Q38.3 is named in 3 Medicare coverage policies — 3 listing it as supporting medical necessity. Which of them applies to you depends on your Medicare contractor, and coverage genuinely differs by state.

A53052Billing and Coding: Home Health Speech-Language Pathology
A54111Billing and Coding: Speech Language Pathology (SLP) Services: Communication Disorders
A56868Billing and Coding: Outpatient Speech Language Pathology

How Q38.3 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 Q38.3.

Aglossia(congenital)
Hypoglossia
Microglossia(congenital)
Absence›tongue, congenital
Accessory›tongue
Adhesions, adhesive›tongue, congenital(to gum or roof of mouth)
Agenesis›tongue
Anomaly, anomalous›tongue
Bifid›tongue
Bifurcation›tongue, congenital
Deformity›tongue(congenital)
Displacement, displaced›tongue(downward) (congenital)

Related codes at this level

Codes that share Q38. If Q38.3 is not quite right, the correct code is usually one of these.

Questions about Q38.3

Is Q38.3 a billable ICD-10-CM code?: Yes. Q38.3 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code and is valid for submission on a claim.
Where does Q38.3 sit in the tabular list?: Congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-QA0), in the block Other congenital malformations of the digestive system (Q38-Q45).