W55.51XA — Bitten by raccoon, initial encounter
W55.51XA is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code for bitten by raccoon, 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 W55
- A
- initial encounter
- D
- subsequent encounter
- S
- sequela
Excludes1 inherited from the categories above W55.51XA
These are not written on W55.51XA, but they bind it: a note on a category applies to every code beneath it. Billing W55.51XA with anything listed here is a denial.
Risk adjustment
W55.51XA 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.
Medicare coverage
W55.51XA is named in 2 Medicare coverage policies — 2 listing it as supporting medical necessity. Which of them applies to you depends on your Medicare contractor, and coverage genuinely differs by state.
- A58872Billing and Coding: Tetanus Immunization
- A58873Billing and Coding: Tetanus Immunization
Code history
W55.51XA has not changed since FY2024 — no addition, revision or deletion across the FY2024–FY2027 ICD-10-CM releases.
Related codes at this level
Codes that share W55.51. If W55.51XA is not quite right, the correct code is usually one of these.
Questions about W55.51XA
- Is W55.51XA a billable ICD-10-CM code?
- Yes. W55.51XA is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code and is valid for submission on a claim.
- Where does W55.51XA sit in the tabular list?
- External causes of morbidity (V00-Y99), in the block Exposure to animate mechanical forces (W50-W64).
- What cannot be coded together with W55.51XA?
- W55.51XA 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 W55.51XA (W55) and apply to it just the same.