S15 — Injury of blood vessels at neck level
S15 is a non-billable header ICD-10-CM code for injury of blood vessels at neck level. 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 S15
- A
- initial encounter
- D
- subsequent encounter
- S
- sequela
Code also
Both codes may be needed to describe the encounter fully. Sequencing depends on the reason for the visit.
- any associated open wound (S11.-)
Other codes that can never be billed with S15
These codes carry an Excludes1 note pointing at S15. The conflict binds both ways, but ICD-10-CM only writes it down on one side — so you would not find this by reading S15 alone.
- S09.0Injury of blood vessels of head, not elsewhere classified
- S09.0XXAInjury of blood vessels of head, not elsewhere classified, initial encounter
- S09.0XXDInjury of blood vessels of head, not elsewhere classified, subsequent encounter
- S09.0XXSInjury of blood vessels of head, not elsewhere classified, sequela
Risk adjustment
S15 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 S15
6 child codes. Green means billable.
Questions about S15
- Is S15 a billable ICD-10-CM code?
- No. S15 is a non-billable header code. Code to a higher level of specificity using one of its child codes.
- Where does S15 sit in the tabular list?
- Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88), in the block Injuries to the neck (S10-S19).