H61.019 — Acute perichondritis of external ear, unspecified ear
Is H61.019 billable?
Yes, but H61.019 is an unspecified code. H61.019 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. However, H61.019 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 H61.019 — the more specific alternatives are listed below.
H61.019 at a glance
| Code | H61.019 |
|---|---|
| Description | Acute perichondritis of external ear, unspecified ear |
| Billable | Yes |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
Which MS-DRGs does H61.019 group to?
H61.019 sits in MDC 08 and helps define the logic of 3 MS-DRGs (version 44, FY2027). Which one a stay actually groups to also depends on procedures and secondary diagnoses.
- 564Other Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue Diagnoses with MCCmedical
- 565Other Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue Diagnoses with CCmedical
- 566Other Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue Diagnoses without CC/MCCmedical
How is H61.019 listed in the Alphabetic Index?
The Alphabetic Index lists these routes under H61.01, the nearest indexed parent of H61.019. Use them to find the family, then select the specific code.
- Perichondritis › ear › acute
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 8
The conditions below are not part of H61.019, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, H61.019 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 H61.019 existed?
H61.019 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.