Is S40.879A a billable ICD-10-CM code?

Yes. S40.879A is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code and is valid for submission on a claim.

Where does S40.879A sit in the tabular list?

Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88), in the block Injuries to the shoulder and upper arm (S40-S49).

What cannot be coded together with S40.879A?

S40.879A 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 S40.879A (S40.87) and apply to it just the same.

S40.879A

S40.879A — Other superficial bite of unspecified upper arm, initial encounter

Billable / specific codeICD-10-CMunspecified

S40.879A is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code for other superficial bite of unspecified upper arm, initial encounter. It is valid for submission on a claim.

7th character "A" — initial encounter

The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S40

A: initial encounter
D: subsequent encounter
S: sequela

Excludes1 inherited from the categories above S40.879A

These are not written on S40.879A, but they bind it: a note on a category applies to every code beneath it. Billing S40.879A with anything listed here is a denial.

Written on S40.87 — Other superficial bite of upper arm

open bite of upper arm (S41.14)

Excludes2 inherited from the categories above S40.879A

Also inherited, and the opposite of Excludes1: these conditions are not part of S40.879A, but a patient can have both, so you may code both.

Written on S40.87 — Other superficial bite of upper arm

other superficial bite of shoulder (S40.27-)

Risk adjustment

S40.879A 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

S40.879A 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 S40.879. If S40.879A is not quite right, the correct code is usually one of these.

Questions about S40.879A

Is S40.879A a billable ICD-10-CM code?: Yes. S40.879A is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code and is valid for submission on a claim.
Where does S40.879A sit in the tabular list?: Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88), in the block Injuries to the shoulder and upper arm (S40-S49).
What cannot be coded together with S40.879A?: S40.879A 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 S40.879A (S40.87) and apply to it just the same.