X34 — Earthquake
X34 is a non-billable header ICD-10-CM code for earthquake. 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 X34
- A
- initial encounter
- D
- subsequent encounter
- S
- sequela
Excludes2 — not included here, but may coexist
The excluded condition is not part of this code, but a patient can have both. You may code both.
- tidal wave (tsunami) due to earthquake (X37.41)
Other codes that can never be billed with X34
These codes carry an Excludes1 note pointing at X34. The conflict binds both ways, but ICD-10-CM only writes it down on one side — so you would not find this by reading X34 alone.
- X36Avalanche, landslide and other earth movements
Risk adjustment
X34 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.
How X34 is indexed
Coders do not find codes by browsing the tabular list — they look them up in the alphabetic index, under the word the physician wrote. These are the index entries that lead here, so you can see which chart wordings map to X34.
- Earthquake(any injury)
- Forces of nature›earthquake
- Victim›earthquake
- Forces of nature›earth movement›earthquake
- Struck by›object›falling›from, in, on›earthquake
Code to one of these instead X34
3 child codes. Green means billable.
Questions about X34
- Is X34 a billable ICD-10-CM code?
- No. X34 is a non-billable header code. Code to a higher level of specificity using one of its child codes.
- Where does X34 sit in the tabular list?
- External causes of morbidity (V00-Y99), in the block Exposure to forces of nature (X30-X39).