L43.9 — Lichen planus, unspecified
Is L43.9 billable?
Yes, but L43.9 is an unspecified code. L43.9 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. However, L43.9 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 L43.9 — the more specific alternatives are listed below.
L43.9 at a glance
| Code | L43.9 |
|---|---|
| Description | Lichen planus, unspecified |
| Billable | Yes |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
Which MS-DRGs does L43.9 group to?
L43.9 sits in MDC 09 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.
- 606Minor Skin Disorders with MCCmedical
- 607Minor Skin Disorders without MCCmedical
How is L43.9 listed in the Alphabetic Index?
These are the routes through the Alphabetic Index that lead to L43.9. They show the wording a clinician may have documented, which often differs from the Tabular description.
- Lichen › planus
- Wilson's › lichen ruber
- Lichen › planus › of Wilson
- Lichen › ruber › planus
Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from L43
The conditions below can never be reported together with L43.9 on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
- lichen planopilaris (L66.1-)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 12
The conditions below are not part of L43.9, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, L43.9 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)
- lipomelanotic reticulosis (I89.8)
- neoplasms (C00-D49)
- symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)
- systemic connective tissue disorders (M30-M36)
- viral warts (B07.-)
How long has L43.9 existed?
L43.9 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.