W69
W69: Accidental drowning and submersion while in natural water
Non-billable headerICD-10-CM
W69 is a non-billable header ICD-10-CM code for accidental drowning and submersion while in natural water. 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 code W69
- A
- initial encounter
- D
- subsequent encounter
- S
- sequela
Excludes1: never code together
These conditions cannot occur together. Billing both on the same encounter is a denial.
Inclusion terms
Alternative wordings a physician may use in the chart for this same code.
- Accidental drowning and submersion while in lake
- Accidental drowning and submersion while in open sea
- Accidental drowning and submersion while in river
- Accidental drowning and submersion while in stream
Other codes that can never be billed with W69
Their own Excludes1 notes name this code, so the conflict is not listed above.
- W16.111Fall into natural body of water striking water surface causing drowning and submersion
- W16.111AFall into natural body of water striking water surface causing drowning and submersion, initial encounter
- W16.111DFall into natural body of water striking water surface causing drowning and submersion, subsequent encounter
- W16.111SFall into natural body of water striking water surface causing drowning and submersion, sequela
- W16.121Fall into natural body of water striking bottom causing drowning and submersion
- W16.121AFall into natural body of water striking bottom causing drowning and submersion, initial encounter
- W16.121DFall into natural body of water striking bottom causing drowning and submersion, subsequent encounter
- W16.121SFall into natural body of water striking bottom causing drowning and submersion, sequela
Risk adjustment
No CMS-HCC V28 category: this code does not change a RAF score.
Alphabetic index entries that lead here
- Drowning›in›natural water(lake) (open sea) (river) (stream) (pond)
Code history
Unchanged in every release from FY2024 to FY2027.
Code to one of these instead W69
3 child codes. Green means billable.