Is S22.020A a billable ICD-10-CM code?

Yes. S22.020A is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code and is valid for submission on a claim.

Where does S22.020A sit in the tabular list?

Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88), in the block Injuries to the thorax (S20-S29).

What cannot be coded together with S22.020A?

S22.020A 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 S22.020A (S22) and apply to it just the same.

S22.020A

S22.020A — Wedge compression fracture of second thoracic vertebra, initial encounter for closed fracture

Billable / specific codeICD-10-CM

S22.020A is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code for wedge compression fracture of second thoracic vertebra, initial encounter for closed fracture. It is valid for submission on a claim.

7th character "A" — initial encounter for closed fracture

The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S22

A: initial encounter for closed fracture
B: initial encounter for open fracture
D: subsequent encounter for fracture with routine healing
G: subsequent encounter for fracture with delayed healing
K: subsequent encounter for fracture with nonunion
S: sequela

Excludes1 inherited from the categories above S22.020A

These are not written on S22.020A, but they bind it: a note on a category applies to every code beneath it. Billing S22.020A with anything listed here is a denial.

Written on S22 — Fracture of rib(s), sternum and thoracic spine

transection of thorax (S28.1)

Excludes2 inherited from the categories above S22.020A

Also inherited, and the opposite of Excludes1: these conditions are not part of S22.020A, but a patient can have both, so you may code both.

Written on S22 — Fracture of rib(s), sternum and thoracic spine

fracture of clavicle (S42.0-)
fracture of scapula (S42.1-)

Other codes that can never be billed with S22.020A

These codes carry an Excludes1 note pointing at S22.020A. The conflict binds both ways, but ICD-10-CM only writes it down on one side — so you would not find this by reading S22.020A alone.

M48.5Collapsed vertebra, not elsewhere classified
M84.3Stress fracture
M84.4Pathological fracture, not elsewhere classified

Risk adjustment

S22.020A risk-adjusts. Under the CMS-HCC V28 model it maps to this category:

HCC 401 Vertebral Fractures without Spinal Cord Injury0.522 RAF

Coefficient shown for the Community Non-dual Aged segment. A higher HCC in the same hierarchy will suppress this one, so capturing it does not always add score.

Medicare coverage

S22.020A is named in 9 Medicare coverage policies — 9 listing it as supporting medical necessity. Which of them applies to you depends on your Medicare contractor, and coverage genuinely differs by state.

A56580Billing and Coding: Computerized Axial Tomography (CT), Thorax
A57132Billing and Coding: Bone Mass Measurement
A57132Billing and Coding: Bone Mass Measurement
A57205Billing and Coding: Oximetry Services

Code history

S22.020A has not changed since FY2024 — no addition, revision or deletion across the three most recent ICD-10-CM releases.

Related codes at this level

Codes that share S22.020. If S22.020A is not quite right, the correct code is usually one of these.

Questions about S22.020A

Is S22.020A a billable ICD-10-CM code?: Yes. S22.020A is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code and is valid for submission on a claim.
Where does S22.020A sit in the tabular list?: Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88), in the block Injuries to the thorax (S20-S29).
What cannot be coded together with S22.020A?: S22.020A 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 S22.020A (S22) and apply to it just the same.