Is R79 a billable ICD-10-CM code?

No. R79 is a non-billable header code. Code to a higher level of specificity using one of its child codes.

Where does R79 sit in the tabular list?

Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99), in the block Abnormal findings on examination of blood, without diagnosis (R70-R79).

What cannot be coded together with R79?

R79 carries an Excludes1 note, which means the conditions it lists can never be coded together with it on the same encounter.

R79

R79 — Other abnormal findings of blood chemistry

Non-billable headerICD-10-CM

R79 is a non-billable header ICD-10-CM code for other abnormal findings of blood chemistry. 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.

asymptomatic hyperuricemia (E79.0)
hyperglycemia NOS (R73.9)
hypoglycemia NOS (E16.2)
neonatal hypoglycemia (P70.3-P70.4)
specific findings indicating disorder of amino-acid metabolism (E70-E72)
specific findings indicating disorder of carbohydrate metabolism (E73-E74)
specific findings indicating disorder of lipid metabolism (E75.-)

Use additional code

Add a secondary code to capture the detail described below.

code to identify any retained foreign body, if applicable (Z18.-)

Other codes that can never be billed with R79

These codes carry an Excludes1 note pointing at R79. The conflict binds both ways, but ICD-10-CM only writes it down on one side — so you would not find this by reading R79 alone.

D68Other coagulation defects

Risk adjustment

R79 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 to one of these instead R79

4 child codes. Green means billable.

Questions about R79

Is R79 a billable ICD-10-CM code?: No. R79 is a non-billable header code. Code to a higher level of specificity using one of its child codes.
Where does R79 sit in the tabular list?: Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99), in the block Abnormal findings on examination of blood, without diagnosis (R70-R79).
What cannot be coded together with R79?: R79 carries an Excludes1 note, which means the conditions it lists can never be coded together with it on the same encounter.