Is R52 a billable ICD-10-CM code?

Yes. R52 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code and is valid for submission on a claim.

Where does R52 sit in the tabular list?

Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99), in the block General symptoms and signs (R50-R69).

What cannot be coded together with R52?

R52 carries an Excludes1 note, which means the conditions it lists can never be coded together with it on the same encounter.

R52

R52 — Pain, unspecified

Billable / specific codeICD-10-CM

R52 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code for pain, unspecified. It is valid for submission on a claim.

Excludes1 — never code together

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

acute and chronic pain, not elsewhere classified (G89.-)
localized pain, unspecified type - code to pain by site, such as:
abdomen pain (R10.-)
back pain (M54.9)
breast pain (N64.4)
chest pain (R07.1-R07.9)
ear pain (H92.0-)
eye pain (H57.1)
headache (R51.9)
joint pain (M25.5-)
limb pain (M79.6-)
lumbar region pain (M54.5-)
pelvic and perineal pain (R10.2-)
shoulder pain (M25.51-)
spine pain (M54.-)
throat pain (R07.0)
tongue pain (K14.6)
tooth pain (K08.8)
renal colic (N23)
pain disorders exclusively related to psychological factors (F45.41)

Inclusion terms

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

Acute pain NOS
Generalized pain NOS
Pain NOS

Other codes that can never be billed with R52

These codes carry an Excludes1 note pointing at R52. The conflict binds both ways, but ICD-10-CM only writes it down on one side — so you would not find this by reading R52 alone.

F45.4Pain disorders related to psychological factors
G89Pain, not elsewhere classified

Risk adjustment

R52 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

R52 is named in 14 Medicare coverage policies — 13 listing it as supporting medical necessity, and 1 listing it as NOT covered. Which of them applies to you depends on your Medicare contractor, and coverage genuinely differs by state.

A57497Billing and Coding: Chest X-Ray Policynot covered
A56607Billing and Coding: Continuous Peripheral Nerve Blocks (CPNB)
A57044Billing and Coding: Removal of Benign Skin Lesions
A57113Billing and Coding: Removal of Benign Skin Lesions

How R52 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 R52.

Pain(s)
Pain›acute
Pain›generalized NOS

Questions about R52

Is R52 a billable ICD-10-CM code?: Yes. R52 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code and is valid for submission on a claim.
Where does R52 sit in the tabular list?: Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99), in the block General symptoms and signs (R50-R69).
What cannot be coded together with R52?: R52 carries an Excludes1 note, which means the conditions it lists can never be coded together with it on the same encounter.