G00.9 — Bacterial meningitis, unspecified
Is G00.9 billable?
Yes, but G00.9 is an unspecified code. G00.9 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. However, G00.9 is an unspecified or catch-all code. Payers apply additional scrutiny to unspecified codes and many deny them when the medical record supports a more specific option, so check the documentation before selecting G00.9 — the more specific alternatives are listed below.
G00.9 at a glance
| Code | G00.9 |
|---|---|
| Description | Bacterial meningitis, unspecified |
| Billable | Yes |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
Which MS-DRGs does G00.9 group to?
G00.9 sits in MDC 01 and helps define the logic of 2 MS-DRGs (version 44, FY2027). Which one a stay actually groups to also depends on procedures and secondary diagnoses.
- 023Craniotomy with Major Device Implant or Acute Complex CNS Principal Diagnosis with MCC or Antineoplastic Implant or Epilepsy with Neurostimulatorsurgical
- 024Craniotomy with Major Device Implant or Acute Complex CNS Principal Diagnosis without MCCsurgical
As a secondary diagnosis, G00.9 is a major complication or comorbidity (MCC), which can move a stay into a higher-paying DRG.
How is G00.9 listed in the Alphabetic Index?
These are the routes through the Alphabetic Index that lead to G00.9. They show the wording a clinician may have documented, which often differs from the Tabular description.
- Meningitis › bacterial (basal) (basic) (brain) (cerebral) (cervical) (congestive) (diffuse) (hemorrhagic) (infantile) (membranous) (metastatic) (nonspecific) (pontine) (progressive) (simple) (spinal) (subacute) (sympathetic) (toxic)
- Meningitis › fibrinopurulent (basal) (basic) (brain) (cerebral) (cervical) (congestive) (diffuse) (hemorrhagic) (infantile) (membranous) (metastatic) (nonspecific) (pontine) (progressive) (simple) (spinal) (subacute) (sympathetic) (toxic)
- Meningitis › gram-negative cocci (basal) (basic) (brain) (cerebral) (cervical) (congestive) (diffuse) (hemorrhagic) (infantile) (membranous) (metastatic) (nonspecific) (pontine) (progressive) (simple) (spinal) (subacute) (sympathetic) (toxic)
- Meningitis › gram-positive cocci (basal) (basic) (brain) (cerebral) (cervical) (congestive) (diffuse) (hemorrhagic) (infantile) (membranous) (metastatic) (nonspecific) (pontine) (progressive) (simple) (spinal) (subacute) (sympathetic) (toxic)
- Meningitis › infectious (basal) (basic) (brain) (cerebral) (cervical) (congestive) (diffuse) (hemorrhagic) (infantile) (membranous) (metastatic) (nonspecific) (pontine) (progressive) (simple) (spinal) (subacute) (sympathetic) (toxic)
- Meningitis › purulent (basal) (basic) (brain) (cerebral) (cervical) (congestive) (diffuse) (hemorrhagic) (infantile) (membranous) (metastatic) (nonspecific) (pontine) (progressive) (simple) (spinal) (subacute) (sympathetic) (toxic)
- Meningitis › pyogenic (basal) (basic) (brain) (cerebral) (cervical) (congestive) (diffuse) (hemorrhagic) (infantile) (membranous) (metastatic) (nonspecific) (pontine) (progressive) (simple) (spinal) (subacute) (sympathetic) (toxic)
- Meningitis › septic (basal) (basic) (brain) (cerebral) (cervical) (congestive) (diffuse) (hemorrhagic) (infantile) (membranous) (metastatic) (nonspecific) (pontine) (progressive) (simple) (spinal) (subacute) (sympathetic) (toxic)
- Meningitis › suppurative (basal) (basic) (brain) (cerebral) (cervical) (congestive) (diffuse) (hemorrhagic) (infantile) (membranous) (metastatic) (nonspecific) (pontine) (progressive) (simple) (spinal) (subacute) (sympathetic) (toxic)
- Meningitis › bacterial › gram-negative (basal) (basic) (brain) (cerebral) (cervical) (congestive) (diffuse) (hemorrhagic) (infantile) (membranous) (metastatic) (nonspecific) (pontine) (progressive) (simple) (spinal) (subacute) (sympathetic) (toxic)
Inclusion terms
Alternative wording in documentation that is classified to G00.9.
- Meningitis due to gram-negative bacteria, unspecified
- Purulent meningitis NOS
- Pyogenic meningitis NOS
- Suppurative meningitis NOS
Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from G00
The conditions below can never be reported together with G00.9 on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 6
The conditions below are not part of G00.9, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, G00.9 and the excluded code may both be reported.
- certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)
- certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)
- complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)
- congenital malformations, deformations, and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)
- endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)
- injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)
- neoplasms (C00-D49)
- symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)
How long has G00.9 existed?
G00.9 has been in ICD-10-CM since at least FY2016, the earliest fiscal year on record here.
Derived from the official order files for FY2016–FY2026. FY2017 and FY2020 publish no order file, so those years are not covered.