S06 — Intracranial injury
S06 is a non-billable header ICD-10-CM code for intracranial injury. It cannot be billed on its own: choose one of the more specific child codes below. This code also requires a 7th character before it is complete.
This code requires a 7th character
The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S06, except as noted below
- A
- initial encounter
- D
- subsequent encounter
- S
- sequela
Excludes1 — never code together
These conditions cannot occur together. Billing both on the same encounter is a denial.
- head injury NOS (S09.90)
Use additional code
Add a secondary code to capture the detail described below.
- code, if applicable, to identify mild neurocognitive disorders due to known physiological condition (F06.7-)
Code also
Both codes may be needed to describe the encounter fully. Sequencing depends on the reason for the visit.
Includes
Conditions this code covers.
- traumatic brain injury
Notes
Additional guidance from the ICD-10-CM tabular list.
- 7th characters D and S do not apply to codes in category S06 with 6th character 7 - death due to brain injury prior to regaining consciousness, or 8 - death due to other cause prior to regaining consciousness.
Other codes that can never be billed with S06
These codes carry an Excludes1 note pointing at S06. The conflict binds both ways, but ICD-10-CM only writes it down on one side — so you would not find this by reading S06 alone.
- P52Intracranial nontraumatic hemorrhage of newborn
- S00Superficial injury of head
- S06.0Concussion
- S06.2Diffuse traumatic brain injury
- S06.89Other specified intracranial injury
- S06.9Unspecified intracranial injury
- S09.0Injury of blood vessels of head, not elsewhere classified
- S09.0XXAInjury of blood vessels of head, not elsewhere classified, initial encounter
Risk adjustment
S06 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 S06
10 child codes. Green means billable.
- S06.0Concussion
- S06.1Traumatic cerebral edema
- S06.2Diffuse traumatic brain injury
- S06.3Focal traumatic brain injury
- S06.4Epidural hemorrhage
- S06.5Traumatic subdural hemorrhage
- S06.6Traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage
- S06.8Other specified intracranial injuries
- S06.9Unspecified intracranial injury
- S06.ATraumatic brain compression and herniation
Questions about S06
- Is S06 a billable ICD-10-CM code?
- No. S06 is a non-billable header code. Code to a higher level of specificity using one of its child codes.
- Where does S06 sit in the tabular list?
- Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88), in the block Injuries to the head (S00-S09).
- What cannot be coded together with S06?
- S06 carries an Excludes1 note, which means the conditions it lists can never be coded together with it on the same encounter.