Is S09.21 a billable ICD-10-CM code?

No. S09.21 is a non-billable header code. Code to a higher level of specificity using one of its child codes.

Where does S09.21 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 S09.21?

S09.21 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 S09.21 (S09.2) and apply to it just the same.

S09.21

S09.21 — Traumatic rupture of right ear drum

Non-billable headerICD-10-CMright

S09.21 is a non-billable header ICD-10-CM code for traumatic rupture of right ear drum. 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 S09

A: initial encounter
D: subsequent encounter
S: sequela

Excludes1 inherited from the categories above S09.21

These are not written on S09.21, but they bind it: a note on a category applies to every code beneath it. Billing S09.21 with anything listed here is a denial.

Written on S09.2 — Traumatic rupture of ear drum

traumatic rupture of ear drum due to blast injury (S09.31-)

Risk adjustment

S09.21 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

S09.21 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 S09.21

3 child codes. Green means billable.

Related codes at this level

Codes that share S09.2. If S09.21 is not quite right, the correct code is usually one of these.

Questions about S09.21

Is S09.21 a billable ICD-10-CM code?: No. S09.21 is a non-billable header code. Code to a higher level of specificity using one of its child codes.
Where does S09.21 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 S09.21?: S09.21 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 S09.21 (S09.2) and apply to it just the same.