Is S50.879 a billable ICD-10-CM code?

No. S50.879 is a non-billable header code. Code to a higher level of specificity using one of its child codes.

Where does S50.879 sit in the tabular list?

Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88), in the block Injuries to the elbow and forearm (S50-S59).

What cannot be coded together with S50.879?

S50.879 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 S50.879 (S50.87) and apply to it just the same.

S50.879

S50.879 — Other superficial bite of unspecified forearm

Non-billable headerICD-10-CM

S50.879 is a non-billable header ICD-10-CM code for other superficial bite of unspecified forearm. 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 S50

A: initial encounter
D: subsequent encounter
S: sequela

Excludes1 inherited from the categories above S50.879

These are not written on S50.879, but they bind it: a note on a category applies to every code beneath it. Billing S50.879 with anything listed here is a denial.

Written on S50.87 — Other superficial bite of forearm

open bite of forearm (S51.84)

Excludes2 inherited from the categories above S50.879

Also inherited, and the opposite of Excludes1: these conditions are not part of S50.879, but a patient can have both, so you may code both.

Written on S50 — Superficial injury of elbow and forearm

superficial injury of wrist and hand (S60.-)

Risk adjustment

S50.879 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

S50.879 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 S50.879

3 child codes. Green means billable.

Related codes at this level

Codes that share S50.87. If S50.879 is not quite right, the correct code is usually one of these.

Questions about S50.879

Is S50.879 a billable ICD-10-CM code?: No. S50.879 is a non-billable header code. Code to a higher level of specificity using one of its child codes.
Where does S50.879 sit in the tabular list?: Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88), in the block Injuries to the elbow and forearm (S50-S59).
What cannot be coded together with S50.879?: S50.879 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 S50.879 (S50.87) and apply to it just the same.